


High-Risk

by Echovous



Series: Making It Work AU [3]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, Chemical Weapons, Digital Art, Domestic, Flashbacks, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Major Character Injury, Mech Preg (Transformers), Medical Procedures, Mild Gore, Mildly Dubious Consent, Mpreg, Past Relationship(s), Police Brutality, Riots, Sexual Content, Sharing a Bed, Spark Sexual Interfacing (Transformers), Spooning, Sticky Sexual Interfacing, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Torture, Transformer Sparklings, Unplanned Pregnancy, Wrongful Imprisonment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2020-10-10 23:36:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 63,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20536493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Echovous/pseuds/Echovous
Summary: Soundwave knew early on he was carrying. He also knew that the safest option for both him and his sparkling was to keep its existence a secret.What he should’ve known was he could only hold this secret inside him for so long...Oh, and also the Autobot v/s Decepticon war is starting.





	1. Emergency

**Author's Note:**

> Everything takes place on Cybertron before the war.

“Shockwave commed. He’s outside,” Megatron lowered to kneel next to Soundwave who was sprawled over a ped-rest.

Soundwave nodded. That’s all he had the strength for. His contractions had started cycles ago, and from then on, only got worse. Now, they rattled through his frame every klik, sapping his strength, and leaving him a panting mess on the floor. 

His sparkling was ready. That much was evident. But was he ready? No. He was not ready for the sparkling to leave his frame. This was his first time carrying, and he was as inexperienced as a mech could be. A stellar cycle ago, he would’ve never processed himself in this position. 

Carriers are supposed to spend their gestation period in a calm, stress-free environment, often surrounded by their bondmate. For Soundwave, his gestation period has been constant fear of keeping himself safe in such a vulnerable state, keeping his sparkling a secret, and keeping Megatron appeased through any means necessary. He’s been so worried with these three tasks that he’s had little time to prepare himself for when his sparkling eventually came, or even what would happen afterward.

“I think it’s time, Soundwave, to let me in on what’s happening,” Megatron’s voice seized him from his frantic thoughts. 

Soundwave craned his head to meet the gladiator’s optics, spindly fingers gripping tighter on the ped-rest as he rode out another contraction. He couldn’t tell Megatron. Not even now. He’s kept all of this a secret for so long. He had to. When he could first detect signs of a growth in his gestation chamber and a tiny spark orbiting around his own, he knew he was in trouble. At the time, he’d still been fighting in the coliseum, and living on his own. He had nobody. The only reason he now stayed in Megatron’s residence was because he’d found the gladiator after a match and essentially bribed him to let him live with him. 

If the gladiator were to find out that he was carrying... His next course of action was inestimable. Megatron could be furious at his dishonesty and throw him out, leaving Soundwave as a vulnerable carrier on the streets of Kaon. A vulnerable carrier that was on verge of delivery. 

Megatron suddenly stood, leaving Soundwave alone. Soundwave released a whine, pressing his visor into the ped-rest. Between heavy vents, he focused on the gladiator’s pedesteps away from him and to the entrence of the residence. He heard the entry door slide open. A moment later, he could hear Megatron’s pedesteps heading towards him again, followed by another set of pedesteps. 

Soundwave strained to lift his head, meeting the singular optic of Shockwave who leaned over him, most likely running a scan on him. Soundwave collapsed against the ped-rest, another undignified whine escaping his vocalizer. The contractions were increasing in intensity, so much so that it was getting harder to keep up with the quick exchanges between Megatron and Shockwave. His internal systems were shifting to accommodate the sparkling on its journey through the narrow canal, much to his inexperienced body’s discomfort. 

It couldn’t come now... He wasn’t ready for it...

When Soundwave tuned back in, Megatron and Shockwave were arguing. Their voices boomed, echoing off the walls, causing Soundwave’s processor to spin. 

“Your conclusion is he’s ‘just overweight?!’” Megatron snapped. “I told you he’s hardly had any energon since moving in!”

“See this. That’s plate-spread,” Shockwave’s fingers brushed against Soundwave’s flank and the stretched protoform exposed beneath his armor. “An indication of an overweight mech.”

Have neither of these mechs seen a carrier before? It surprised Soundwave that he hadn’t been caught yet. Megatron’s cluelessness didn’t surprise him, but he thought for sure Shockwave would know the moment he laid his optic on him. Shockwave was no medic, but his abilities as a surgeon and scientist, along with his numerous (ethical and unethical) experiments, places him in a work environment where he’d likely come into contact with carriers. 

“Obviously it’s the sign of an overweight mech! Tell me something I don’t know!”

Soundwave braced himself as another contraction rattled his frame, much stronger than the last. He was about to burst. He needed help now, no matter how hard he’s been working to keep this a secret. No matter what the consequences may be...

“O-or a carrier,” Soundwave’s vocalizer glitched. 

His words silenced the two mechs. Megatron stood motionlessly, while Shockwave leaned away from his position behind Soundwave. “Repeat that,” the scientist asked. 

“A carrier. Plate-spread is also a sign of a carrier,” he repeated. “I’m... I’m carrying.”

Both mechs fell into another silence. Soundwave raised his head from where it rested to meet Megatron’s optics. The gladiator wasn’t looking at him. He had a blank stare on his face and looked as if he was about to fall to his knees. He must think it’s his... It’s not. It’s definitely not. Yet, maybe he’d be safer if Megatron thought it was, at least for the short term. 

Shockwave was the first to react. He stood from where he’d been crouched behind Soundwave and turned to Megaton. “In his condition, I find it highly illogical to remain here. We must transport him to a properly equipped facility.” 

“No,” Soundwave’s helm shot up. Another long contraction ratted his frame. He gripped onto the ped-rest tighter.

Megatron glanced at Soundwave, a myriad of emotion in his optics, and a field that burned with a protective aura. He faced Shockwave, translating Soundwave’s fear. “No medics.” 

“That’s not what I was suggesting. I don’t have the contacts to call a medic anyway,” Shockwave stated. “But we still must move him. My lab would be a suitable place.” 

“Suitable place?” Megatron raised an optical ridge.

“I’m a surgeon as well as a scientist. At the very least, there will be something in my lab to ease his pain.” 

Megatron, realizing that Shockwave was looking to him for an answer, quickly shook his head, clearing his processor. “Let’s get Soundwave over there, then.”

Upon Megatron’s permission, Shockwave began to move urgently, heading for the entry. “I’ll bring the transport to the front. You will have to carry him from here,” the scientist spoke, disappearing down the hall. 

Soundwave tensed at the quiet that came with Shockwave’s pedesteps fading away. Megatron still seemed to be stunned by the news, and when he finally began to move, he stumbled. The gladiator dropped down next to him, massive chassis bumping him slightly. He slid a large arm around Soundwave’s shoulders, then moved his other arm beneath his knees for more support. Megatron easily lifted Soundwave off the floor, carrying him bridal-style. 

Soundwave twisted into Megatron, wrapping both of his arms around the gladiator’s neck, gripping onto the plating as another wave of pain passed through him. He could hear the concerned voices of others as Megatron carried him down the hallway and out of the apartment building, but they all sounded distant to him. He offlined his optics, tucking his chin into Megatron’s chest plate. 

“How long have you known?” Megatron’s voice brought Soundwave back to reality. 

He hesitated, “I’ve always known.”

A rumble sounded in the gladiator’s throat, followed by a long pause. “Is it mine?”

“No.” 

It pained Soundwave to admit it. Some part of him wished it was Megatron’s. It would be so much easier if it was. He’s grown far more attached to the gladiator than he’d intended while living with him. If things had been different, maybe it would be Megatron’s sparkling. 

Megatron didn’t answer him after that. His optics remained forward, focused entirely on getting Soundwave outside the building and into the transport. Once inside, two seats in the hold were folded back like a berth. Megatron placed Soundwave down atop the makeshift berth, keeping a servo on his bulging protoform but refusing to look at him. Soundwave sent his field out to try to get a read on Megatron’s. The gladiator’s field wasn’t pulled in any more than usual, and the feelings of responsibility, determination, sadness, worry, topped with a bit of disappointment and annoyance, radiated from his field. 

Megatron wasn’t fuming at the thought it wasn’t his? Good. That left a possibility that he wouldn’t be left to fend for himself. Maybe Megatron would protect him, become this sparkling’s step-sire... 

“We’ve arrived. Get him outside,” Shockwave entered the hold from where he’d been piloting in the cockpit to manually open the back ramp. 

Megatron slid his hands beneath Soundwave again and lifted him, following the scientist out of the transport and into the lab. Shockwave’s lab was rather large, considering how crowded Kaonian buildings usually are, but Shockwave’s status as lead surgeon of the gladiatorial arena helped to allow such a large area to work with. 

Before Megatron could step through the threshold leading into the operating room, Shockwave blocked the way. The scientist extended his arms to grab Soundwave from Megatron. Megatron eased Soundwave out of his own arms and into Shockwave’s. The gladiator began to hesitantly follow. 

“It would be logical for you to wait out here until I’m finished,” Shockwave said to Megatron, his arms trembling from the effort to hold Soundwave and the carrier bulk he’d accumulated. 

“What if I want to be in there with him?” Megatron’s question came out as a challenge. 

“You presence would add nothing,” Shockwave said and entered the operating room. Soundwave lifted his head, watching Megatron as the scientist took him away. He didn’t want to be alone for this. He wanted Megatron to be there...

The door to the room slid closed automatically, allowing Shockwave to step up to the medical berth and heave him atop it. Shockwave vented, taking a brief moment to collect himself before he began. 

“I’m going to start by giving you a dose of nullifiers. They will ease you pain and allow you to push with few interruptions,” the scientist left Soundwave’s side to open a wall cabinet. A moment later, he returned, handing him three small tablets. When Soundwave paused, he added, “They’re administered orally. Remove your visor.” 

Soundwave let his visor slide away, revealing his smooth faceplates so he could take the nullifiers. The action itself felt uncomfortable. He never removed his visor for anyone. He always kept to himself, at least before he’d been sparked and moved in with Megatron for protection...

“Your field is projecting fear,” Shockwave stated. “Does it have to do with the sire, Megatron?”

Soundwave glanced up at the scientist, pulling his field in self-consciously. “Megatron is not the sire.”

“Then who is the sire,” Shockwave asked, back to him as he collected his tools. 

Soundwave didn’t answer. 

“Do you not know?” Shockwave glanced over his shoulder, singular optic narrowing. 

Soundwave stared at him without expression. What a stupid question to ask. Of course he knew. Did the scientist think he was unaware of his surroundings? Did he think he let someone spark him without his consent? Not a chance. Even if he had, there was no way the identity of the perpetrator would remain unknown. Soundwave would find him. He monitored the security system of half of Kaon. 

He’d find him... One of these cycles...

Shockwave looked away from him, “I’ll take that as a ‘no’,” He glanced down at the various scalpels and prods, then back at Soundwave. “What is your plan for the sparkling? In other words: is this to be a clean extraction?” 

Soundwave opened his intake to respond only to clamp it shut as another contraction pulled at his innards. He deactivated his vocalizer just before a wail tore its way through his throat. His whole body spasmed, and his head slammed against the medical berth. 

Shockwave was by his side immediately. He slid a servo beneath his helm, cushioning his spasms. “Keep venting,” he spoke in his usual serious tone, but the tinge of uncertainty in his field betrayed him. 

“My body can’t push it out,” Soundwave reactivated his vocalized to grunt through bared denta. “It doesn’t know how.”

“I can see that,” Shockwave said, leaving his side again. “I need to find another way. It would be better, at this point, to rip it out off you...” Shockwave drifted off, stiffening. “That would work.”

“What?” Soundwave craned his head to see the scientist who’d retreated to the back table to grab something. He returned with a large syringe. 

“Lean forward. As far as you can,” he ordered, walking around the medical berth.

Soundwave pushed up on his elbow struts, struggling to pull himself into a sitting position. Shockwave placed a servo on his back, supporting him from behind. 

“I’m going to inject an anesthetic beneath your back strut.” Shockwave explained. “It will numb your neural sensors from the abdomen down. Two breems. Long enough for the procedure.” 

“I will be awake for the duration?” Soundwave asked, optics widening. 

“It would be illogical to put you under for such a short surgery,” Shockwave answered quickly, splaying a servo across Soundwave’s back. “Do not move.” 

Soundwave braced himself as the syringe pierced the small of his back, and the anesthetics were administered. Almost instantly, his sensors numbed and he lost feeling below his waist. Soundwave continued to pant despite the lack of pain from contractions. He flicked his optics at Shockwave, nervousness creeping up his back strut. The scientist had discarded the syringe and now held a blade medial to his bulging protoform.

Shockwave glanced up at him. “I would offline your optics if I were you.”

Soundwave complied. He rested flat on the medical berth and turned his head away, offlining his optics. When the scientist started cutting, Soundwave could only hear it. The injection Shockwave had given him worked. He felt absolutely nothing aside from the occasional pull and push. It allowed him to relax as Shockwave worked on him. He began to replay the day’s events in his head. Megatron. The gladiator had stared at him in shock that morning when he dropped to the floor. He’d been at a state of near-panic. The call to Shockwave had been made out of pure desperation. 

Megatron didn’t want to lose him, deep down Soundwave knew that. First and foremost, Megatron was a gladiator, a champion. But outside the arena, he had a soft side, a caring side. When Soundwave has finally admitted he was carrying, he wished he could’ve seen into Megatron’s processor and taken in all the thoughts that had to be going through his helm at once. That news could’ve been life changing for him. If it had been his to begin with...

Soundwave didn’t want to think of what would happen after Shockwave extracted the sparkling and they were ready to go back to Megatron’s residence. Would he even be allowed back in Megatron’s residence? The truth is out. He’s a carrier, using Megatron for protection. Megatron could just leave him, but Soundwave had a feeling the gladiator wouldn’t... 

A tap on his shoulder caused him to hesitantly online his optics. What he was greeted with was Shockwave holding a small figure in his servos. Soundwave raised his head, the rest of his body too weak to move, and stared at the small figure. 

“Interesting...” Shockwave twisted the sparkling in his servos. As he did, a small wing—webbed, unlike a seeker’s wing—rolled open. Shockwave grabbed it with a careful servo, analyzing it. “Are you certain this isn’t a parasite?” 

“It’s mine,” Soundwave’s vocalizer cracked. He still watched his sparkling, wanting Shockwave to put it against his chest. 

The scientist still held the sparkling. “Hm... I figure you won’t let me keep it for research...”

“Give it to me,” Soundwave demanded, growing tired. 

Shockwave complied, laying it carefully against his chest. The sparkling clicked and cooed, crawling to find a feeding nozzle and have its first energon meal. Soundwave watched it lovingly. He pulled a weak arm up to nudge it to a nub. Once the sparkling was latched, and he felt a stream of stored energon flowing to the sparkling, he rested his helm and offlined his optics. 

Just when he thought he could rest, Shockwave spoke beside him. “I’m administering a sedative. It will help you recharge after your ordeal.” 

Soundwave raised his helm as Shockwave injected the sedative. “Megatronus...” 

Shockwave took out the syringe. “I’m sending him to his residence. You’re staying here so I can monitor your vitals.” 

Soundwave nodded his helm sleepily, fully knowing the singular-optic bot was recording and storing his vital information for future projects. He didn’t let it bother him, in fact, he’d already forgotten it by the time he rested his helm on the medical berth. The sedative knocking him into recharge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this was supposed to be some shitpost for my sister based on some offhand comment she made while we were binging tfp. However it turned into something very different


	2. The Truth Comes Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soundwave gives Megatron_some_ of the answers he's looking for about Laserbeak's origin.

Memories... Visible through the darkness...

“He’s really gotta go,” a quiet voice spoke from the other side of the wall, a wave of guilt sent out through his field. 

“What’re you sayin’?” A second voice. 

“Soundwave can’t stay with us.”

“Of course he can stay. He’s carrying MY sparkling for the love of Primus!” 

“He’s not safe... This is Kaon. There’s gangs, thugs, bot traffickers, you name it. They’ll snatch him right up.”

“Another reason why he needs to be here so we can protect him!”

“Protect him?” The voice scoffed. “Please. We’re a hundred times smaller than any of those bulks. Either you tell him to leave or I will.”

No need. Soundwave had already left the hab...

— — 

Soundwave rebooted slowly, each mechanism coming online one by one. He was laying on a soft material that gently cushioned his. He began to extend his legs out beneath him. Satisfying tingles spread up his protoform as he stretched. 

Soundwave onlined his optics with a long stretch of his shoulders, fully expecting to see the cabinet-lined walls of Shockwave’s lab. However, his first sight wasn’t that of the lab, or anyplace similar. He was in a berthroom, lying in a familiar berth. Megatron’s berth. Immediately, his processor began to spin. 

Why was he here? How did he get here? Did he only dream of last cycle’s events? Soundwave placed a hand on his abdominal protoform. No bulge. He felt the loose mesh, running his fingers along the series of wrinkles accompanied by numerous welded scars. He’d delivered... So where was his sparkling? 

Soundwave rolled onto his side and checked the berth to make sure he wasn’t laying on the sparkling. It was nowhere to be seen. Soundwave shifted into a sitting position on the berth and turned his advanced scanners on the residence, searching for his sparkling. He quickly tapped into the security cameras outside on an adjacent building. Wrong angle. He searched for another signal only to be interrupted by a sudden shift against his chassis. Soundwave glanced downward to see his sparkling, a mini-con, clutched onto his chest, barely large enough to grip his shoulders. 

Soundwave raised a servo and traced a light circle into the sparkling’s back. It cooed, shifting again. Soundwave kept rubbing the sparkling’s back absently as he took in the sight of its delicate protoform. This sparkling had been inside of him... His gestational chamber had formed it...

The sparkling shifted hungrily and released an agitated squawk. Soundwave ceased his caresses. He sent reassurance through his field as he eased the sparkling from its dock. His chest plate began to transform away as he prepared for the energon feeding. 

“You’re awake.”

Soundwave snapped his helm up to see the figure of Megatron standing in the threshold. The gladiator leaned against the door frame. From his comfortable stance, it appeared he had been standing there watching him for awhile. Soundwave shivered, unable to control his rattling plating under the gladiator’s gaze. Megatron knew everything now. His sparkling, which had been a secret all of his carriage, was in plain sight. What was the gladiator planning? He wasn’t speaking, and his field was pulled in tightly. 

The squawking of his sparkling retracted Soundwave’s optics. The sparkling flapped its wings in frustration. Soundwave realized he had been unintentionally holding it away from his feeding nubs. He quickly brought the sparkling to his chest, allowing the sparkling to eagerly latch itself on. 

“Current location: explain...” Soundwave spoke, momentarily falling back into his regular, more efficient, speech pattern—the one Megatron preferred he not use in more intimate settings. He quickly rectified his wrong. “How did I get here.”

“I brought you here. Shockwave needed space for an experiment. He was about to transfer you to a medical unit, but thought to comm me before he did.”

Soundwave nodded his helm once, glancing from his sparkling back to Megatron in quick succession. When his optics refocused on the gladiator, he was walking towards the berth. The massive mech sat at the end, watching Soundwave. “I don’t like being deceived,” he said. 

“I did not lie to you.”

“Retaining the truth is the same as lying,” a dangerous snarl worked its way into the gladiator’s voice. 

Soundwave stiffened on the berth, tucking an arm around his sparkling, preparing to defend it with his functioning. 

Megatron noticed his tension and softened his voice. “You have lived here with me for nearly a vorn. You’ve kept yourself at my side, done the things I want you to do. You’ve... interfaced with me, all while concealing the fact you were carrying.” He paused. “Why?”

“I feared you would refuse my request of temporary habitation.” Soundwave glanced down at his sparkling. “Or throw us out.” 

Megatron frowned. “I wouldn’t have done that, Soundwave.” 

He would’ve. Soundwave knew that for a fact. He was created with a heightened sensitivity to electromagnetic fields. During certain occasions, he could read the thoughts of others. When he’d asked Megatron if he could live with him, (bribed him, really), he could sense the hunger. He could sense Megatron’s interest in what he had to offer, but once that ran out, he’d be done with him. Soundwave knew that to counteract the risk of being thrown out, he had to continuously offer himself up to the gladiator to make himself useful, needed. 

“Soundwave. Did you hear me?” The gladiator asked. 

Soundwave snapped his optics to the gladiator’s, embarrassment radiating throughout his field. He was always listening all the time. He had channels open to many different places in Kaon. He never missed what was being said. 

Megatron took his silence for an answer. “I asked why you picked me specifically.”

Against his chest, his sparkling finished feeding. It squawked and transformed to dock once again, falling into recharge quickly. With his sparkling docked, Soundwave pulled his legs up against his chest, hugging himself. “Nowhere else to go,” he answered simply. 

Megatron’s brow furrowed in thought. He placed a servo in front of Soundwave and pulled himself closer. “No creators to return to?” 

Soundwave never knew his creators, or any relatives for that matter. As far as he was aware, he had none. His searches through public documents and hacks of private records have reared no results. Most likely, his sire and carrier were casualties in a never-reported mining accident. And he, just a sparkling at the time, was left in the care of the operation’s supervisor. 

“No.”

“No family?” Megatron raised an optical ridge.

Soundwave shook his helm.

“What about those mini-cons. What were their names... Frenzy and Rumble.” Soundwave stiffened as Megatron continued. “You often fought with them in the Pit. You even modded your body to allow them to dock. Couldn’t you have gone to them?”

Frenzy... Rumble... Soundwave’s servos unconsciously wandered up the sides of his frame, reaching a protrusion just beneath his posterior shoulder plates. An opened cassette dock. While Soundwave was carrying, the cassette dock had been closed by his carrier protocols to save space for the sparkling growing inside of him. Now, they were reopened. His slender fingers slid inside the docks, feeling the intricacies of the interior... and the emptiness...

Soundwave pushed away the painful thoughts resurfacing to his processor. “Left Kaon...” he whispered. 

“What about the sparkling’s sire?” Megatron asked. “Wouldn’t he have wanted you to live with him?”

“They...” Soundwave paused. “‘He’ didn’t believe he could defend me properly.”

“There’s not anyone else you know?”

“No, I—“ Soundwave’s vents hitched and he began to sob. Megatron noticed his trembling and scooted closer, draping an arm across his shoulders. 

The gladiator held him tightly. “I’m sorry; I didn’t intend to upset you...”

Soundwave shook his helm, tears falling against the inside of his visor. None of this was because of anything Megatron had said. These emotions had been locked away inside him for a long time, and now they were finally flowing out of him. 

“It was an accident,” Soundwave in-vented a shaky breath. “T-the sire. He had an augmentation installed, k-keeping his spark in one piece during the merge. N-no sparkling should’ve been conceived! N-not for him, and d-definitely not for me!”

Megatron kept his servo wrapped around Soundwave’s shoulder, circling it with his thumb. 

“S-something went wrong!” Soundwave cried. “From a biological standpoint, I s-should’ve been the sire! I’m the bigger mech and h-he’s a mini-con!”

“Relax,” Megatron tried to calm him. Soundwave’s trembling got worse, he was fully shaking now. 

“I d-didn’t think I needed protection! H-he had the augment! I thought w-we would be fine! I didn’t even consider our size difference and the fact the sparkling could’ve transported to my spark chamber d-during the merge!”

Megatron’s grip tightened on Soundwave’s shoulder. He gave him a firm shake. “Soundwave, stop.” There was concern in the gladiator’s optics.

Soundwave shook his helm again, squeezing his optics shut. “I-It’s my fault! If I hadn’t allowed the sparkmerge, they would still be here! They wouldn’t have left me here! I-I’d still have them with me!”

“Who would still be here?” Megatron asked, loosening his grip on Soundwave’s shoulder. 

Rumble and Frenzy. His mini-cons, his cassettes. The two bots he trusted and relied on more than anyone else. The three of them have known each other long before they fought together in the arenas, and have been through countless trials and tribulations. Together, they had overcame their unpleasant beginnings, leaving the mines and the slave pits behind. 

It hurt Soundwave down to his spark to not know where they were. The cycle he’d told the brothers he was carrying... They’d celebrated together, the celebration wearing Soundwave out. When the brothers thought he was in recharge, they excused themselves into a separate room to talk. Soundwave listened in, hearing them go back and forth on whether or not Soundwave could stay. Rumble argued against Frenzy, stating that it was HIS sparkling Soundwave was carrying—which it was, and that Soundwave had to stay. Frenzy continued to disagree, putting his ped down. Soundwave had left not too long after that, the arguing being too much for him to process. 

It had been a rash decision on Soundwave’s part. The second he reached his destination: the back entrance to the Pits of Kaon, he already regretted his choice. He should’ve stayed in the hab with the mini-cons to at least hear what they had to say. They could’ve had a suggestion for where he could temporarily stay before moving back in with them. Soundwave quickly headed back to the hab, to his home, but when he got there, the brothers were gone. They’d checked out, leaving for an unknown location. 

“Do I need to call the paramedics?” Megatron asked, his optics bright, evidence of a scan. His servos were on Soundwave’s shoulders, steadying his shaking shoulders. 

Soundwave recollected himself. It took several kliks, but he was soon able to speak clear and evenly. “Please don’t throw me out...” he pleaded. “I have nowhere else to go...”

Megatron’s optics dimmed and refocused on Soundwave. At first, he didn’t speak. His optics narrowed in thought. Soundwave’s spark began to sink in its chamber before the gladiator began. “You may continue to stay here.”

Soundwave went limp in relief, falling against Megatron’s chassis. He felt the gladiator’s body stiffen and field flare with surprise. “Thank you.” 

Megatron hesitated, servo hovering above Soundwave’s back. He shook himself, and pulled away from their embrace. “I’ll help you, too,” he offered. Uncertainty pulsed through Megatron’s field, but Soundwave could tell the gladiator was trying to suppress it from him. “My experience with sparklings is lacking, but when my judgement is needed, I will do my best to assist.”

Soundwave nodded, extending a feeling of gratitude through his field. Megatron smiled. He leaned closer, wrapping an arm around Soundwave again. Soundwave leaned into the embrace, offlining his optics. He wanted to enjoy this moment. 

“Have you named him yet?” Megatron asked. 

Soundwave onlined his optics to glance down at the sparkling. Him? He’d always called the sparkling an “it.” Was it time to start calling it a “him?” Soundwave wouldn’t know. He only downloaded a single carrier manual his entire carriage, and still hadn’t started reading it. He didn’t know what the norm was or how to follow it.

“No,” Soundwave answered honestly. “I’ll name him later.” Next cycle he would have to take the sparkling to Iacon to get him recorded in the Hall of Records. He’d need to have a name chosen by then. 

“Alright...” the gladiator murmured, pulling Soundwave closer. His plating was beginning to heat up where it touched Soundwave. The arousal radiating from Megatron’s frame was numbing. 

Soundwave stiffened, slipping out of Megatron’s grip. Oh, no. “Soundwave: Put sparkling to recharge,” he announced. 

Megatron nodded, excusing him. Soundwave crawled towards the edge of the berth, feeling Megatron’s fingers graze the back of his thigh as he stood and went to leave the room. He padded through the main room, decorated with couches, and a large, wall screen that was still on, reporting the news of the cycle, and entered the spare berthroom. 

Megatron wants to interface. Should he indulge Megatron’s desires? He really didn’t want to interface, but he was hesitant to deny Megatron. Interfacing had always been a part of their routine, from the cycle he moved in with him, up until the cycle he delivered. 

Soundwave brought his servos up to coax his sparkling from his firm grip on his chest. The sparkling released a series of clicks before letting go. Soundwave placed the sparkling on the spare berth. It flapped its webbed wings, trying to reach his chest so he could re-dock. Soundwave kept a gentle yet firm grip on the sparkling’s back, holding it against the berth as he carefully brought the loose sheets around him, tucking the sparkling in. The sparkling released a final coo before going still, falling into sweet recharge. 

With his sparkling in recharge, Soundwave headed to return to Megatron. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the gladiator wanted him. He’d done the deed with Megatron nearly every cycle, purely as a means to appease Megatron. That’s it. But the thought of doing it now felt wrong. Soundwave was far from an interface-driven mech. He found the act less than enjoyable. Still stimulating, of course, but never enjoyable. 

Soundwave entered Megatron’s berthroom. The gladiator had moved to lay on the berth, relaxed. Soundwave waited at the end of the berth, unsure how to initiate the interfacing. 

Megatron raised his helm, focusing his optics on him. “Do you need help with the sparkling?” He asked, shifting into a sitting position. 

Soundwave paused, caught off guard. But... Didn’t Megatron want to interface? The mech’s plating had heated up. He obviously wanted to. Soundwave sent his field out, allowing it to intermingle with the gladiator’s, finding that the heat and arousal were waning. 

Megatron took his silence as a response. He started to get up, “Hold on. I’m coming.”


	3. (Un)Necessary Assistance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an unnatural Emergence, complications arise that could be benign or malignant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a bit of a delay on this chapter. I’ve been rewriting parts of this chapter and it’s finally at a place I like.

Soundwave followed Megatron into the spare berthroom and up to the berth. The sparkling was still where Soundwave had left it, lying flat on the berth, wings outstretched and twitching ever so slightly. 

“He’s in recharge,” Megatron said aloud. His optics flicked over to Soundwave, and a pulse of question flowed through the gladiator’s field of why Soundwave had returned to his room after putting the sparkling to recharge.

Soundwave frowned beneath his visor. Why was Megatron confused? Wasn’t it obvious why he’d came back? He had felt Megatron’s frame heating up. He knew the gladiator was interested. So why the hesitation? Megatron always took what he wanted, and Soundwave let him. If physical interfacing could appease Megatron before, and had a chance of appeasing him now, then Soundwave would do it. Megatron said he wouldn’t abandon Soundwave, but those were words, not actions. 

Soundwave met the gladiator’s gaze, “Provides time for intimate activities.”

Appeasement. Nothing more. 

Megatron raised an optical ridge. “Intimate activities?”

“Affirmative,” Soundwave answered. He walked past Megatron, heading back to the gladiator’s berthroom. From the sound of pedesteps behind him, he could tell Megatron was following him.

Soundwave didn’t hesitate to crawl into the berth once he reached it. He knew how Megatron liked to interface: fully dominating his partner, holding them against the sheets, immobilizing them solely with his strength, and rough, rough interfacing. Soundwave twisted to look over his shoulder, finding Megatron’s bright red optics wandering his frame. He rolled over onto his back, both to maneuver himself into a comfortable position and to keep the gladiator in sight. He remained wary of Megatron, no matter how many times they’ve done it. Megatron was a large mech, and his tendencies in berth could unintentionally damage him if he wasn’t careful.

The berth dipped as Megatron climbed on to kneel at the end of it. He watched Soundwave, eyes scanning his frame up and down. The gladiator eagerly smiled and crawled closer. Soundwave forced his frame to relax as he descended upon him. He prepared for Megatron to lock his servos around his hips and pull him towards his array, but the gladiator’s servos slid around his waist instead. Megatron pulled Soundwave closer as he laid down beside him, holding him against his chassis. 

Soundwave stilled. The gladiator’s breath was warm on the back of his neck and his arm laid firm, almost protectively, around his midsection. Against Soundwave’s back, Megatron’s frame was starting to cool down. Soundwave sent out his sensors to the gladiator, finding that his systems were slowing. Megatron was falling into recharge? Why now? They’re in the same berth...

Soundwave’s thoughts were interrupted when Megatron reached up to tap his chest with a digit. “Wish the sparkling was with us...” he murmured against his neck cables. 

Soundwave stiffened. “The sparkling should not be present for interfacing.”

Megatron laughed, venting against his neck. “What makes you think I want to interface? Maybe I just want to lay here.”

“I don’t,” Soundwave’s frame remained stiff under Megatron’s arm. 

Megatron propped himself up on an elbow to stare down at Soundwave. “Don’t want to what?” He asked with almost a playful tone. 

“Lay here,” Soundwave answered, fidgeting against the gladiator’s frame. 

Megatron’s playful tone disappeared. “You want to leave? To go back to the spare berth?” A pulse of disappointment passed through his field. 

Soundwave glanced at the gladiator from out of the corner of his optics. He wanted to say ‘yes’, stand up, and leave, but the disappointment in Megatron’s voice stopped him, making him uneasy. Soundwave had yet to deny the gladiator. He’d always complied with his wishes no matter how unpleasant they were because there had always been an end in sight: his sparkling. His carrier protocols had placed the protection of his sparkling as the top priority. To protect it, he had to keep Megatron satisfied. He’d have to lie still and take whatever the gladiator gave him. And he did just that, but now that his sparkling is out, he knows he will have to continue where he left off. 

His sparkling is even more vulnerable than ever. It’s tiny, (much smaller than any sparkling he’d ever seen before), it’s weak, not capable of flight yet, and worst of all, Soundwave’s body can’t serve as a metal shield for it any longer. If he were to unintentionally rouse Megatron’s ire, he could target the sparkling. Why wouldn’t he? What mech would willingly serve as a stand-in sire for someone else’s sparkling? 

Soundwave relaxed, allowing his back to press up against Megatron’s chassis. He sent a neutral pulse through his field to the gladiator, a sign that he wasn’t going to leave. At least not yet. The gladiator vented another breath at the back of Soundwave’s neck cables before he settled, smiling against soft protoform. 

“I wish I’d known you before the Pits,” the gladiator murmured. 

Soundwave didn’t answer, he didn’t have to. He already knew that the gladiator thought about him and their first meeting a lot. In the brief moment every few cycles when Soundwave unbound his overwhelming telepathic abilities to his surroundings, he liked to read Megatron’s thoughts. Even without his sensitive field, Soundwave knew that the gladiator regretted not meeting with him sooner, and the feeling was mutual. 

His current situation could be so different if he’d met Megatron before he’d been sparked. 

Megatron’s servo caressed Soundwave’s outer thigh through the thin sheet. Soundwave pressed back into the gladiator, frame shuddering from the sensation. He wasn’t used to foreplay or any kind of touching. In the rare occasion when the gladiator did initiate foreplay, it usually involved fighting. Megatron didn’t like a stationary partner. He liked his partners clawing, hitting, and struggling. 

Many times they’ve interfaced, Soundwave lashed out at the gladiator, letting his digits scrape down his chest plating. Megatron would immediately seize his wrist struts, pinning them to the berth above Soundwave’s helm, and holding them there with a single servo. Soundwave would then use his data cables. They’d slither out from their sheaths within his frame, electric heads cracking with electricity as they hovered above the gladiator’s plating. The electricity—purposely turned down—wouldn’t be enough to stop the gladiator, and with his partner pinned, he was free to roam his body. His unoccupied servo splayed over Soundwave’s abdominal plating, dipping down to sink into the soft flesh—hard enough to sting but not hard enough to puncture. The gladiator would drag his fingers down Soundwave’s abdomen, pulling at the warmth building there. 

“Soundwave,” Megatron’s servo lifted off of him.

For a moment, Soundwave froze, fearing the worst. Was his frame heating up? Did his cooling fans whirl on? H-had he made a noise that could give away what he was thinking about? A quick scan confirmed that wasn’t the case.

Soundwave rolled over to see Megatron’s crimson optics pointed down towards his backside. Soundwave twisted around, allowing his optics to trace down dark plating. He immediately locked on the sight of his own modesty panel. A bright blue fluid flowed from the tight seam, dripping down his legs and aft to seep into the berth. He turned his hips away from the gladiator, back arching against the gladiator’s chest, as he opened his modesty panel halfway with a metallic thunk. Immediately, more of the fluid gushed out from his valve and onto the berth. 

Energon. His own. 

The sight made Soundwave light-helmed. His hydraulic pressure dropped and he collapsed against the berth. 

Megatron’s servo tightened against his hip in alert. His optics flicked down between Soundwave’s legs, seeing the frightening amount of fluid streaming out of him. “Stay here,” a quick servo brushed over Soundwave’s abdominal plating and Megatron slid out of the berth. 

Soundwave lifted his helm, his whole frame shaking with the effort. He stared after the gladiator as he disappeared into the main room. “Megatron,” he called after him. 

He heard the gladiator’s voice from the main room, talking to someone else. He strained to pick up what he was saying, only able to hear fragments such as ‘bleeding out’ and ‘get here now.’ 

Soundwave slid a weak servo along the berth and grabbed the edge to drag himself forward. “Do not call medics,” he continued to drag himself to the edge. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and slid his pedes one at a time to the floor, sitting on the edge of the berth. His optics blinked rapidly behind his visor as he tried to get the room around him to stop spinning. 

He was fine. Megatron didn’t need to comm medics. Was he even in contact with one? Maybe he was just comming Shockwave... Shockwave was the last mech he wanted to see right now, but he was still much better than the alternative. Soundwave extended his sensors to the gladiator, easily picking up the comm link and connecting. 

“Just stay calm, Sir. I’m dispatching a medical transport right now, okay?” The voice on the other end of the comm spoke. 

What?! He’s calling emergency services? Soundwave pushed off the berth, swaying as he tried to find his balance. His elevated position shifted the pooled energon inside of him, sending more flowing down his legs and dripping to the floor. He dropped down to a knee, his helm spinning. What was happening?

Soundwave pushed himself up to his pedes. “Megatron,” he called again, receiving no answer. 

“He’s gushing energon,” Megatron’s voice... was it fearful? “It’s coming out of him in clumps! The transport needs to be here now!”

“They’re on their way, Sir. If his bleeding is bad, then you might have to start some basic first-aid before they arrive. I can walk you through it.”

“F-fine,” Megatron hesitated. “What do I do?”

“You’re going to have to find some mesh to apply pressure to his wound. Preferably sterile or at least as clean as possible. Then put it to the wound and use your weight! Press down as hard as possible to stem the flow.”

Soundwave snapped his helm up as heavy pedesteps entered the berthroom. Megatron’s optics widened as he stared at him standing in a puddle of his own energon. The gladiator was by his side in a klik, optics scanning his trembling frame. 

“Make sure he’s lying down on a flat surface. Keep the wound elevated and keep pressure on it.”

Megatron’s servo gently locked around Soundwave’s shoulder. He let the gladiator haul him back onto the berth and lay him flat. He didn’t have the strength to resist. 

“Do I still apply pressure if...” Megatron hesitated. “...if the wound is in his valve?”

“Yes, but not too much pressure. Make sure to pack the mesh thick beforehand so his energon doesn’t completely soak the mesh. And add more if you need to.”

Megatron pulled on the berth sheet and rolled it into a tight ball with his servos. He hesitantly glanced from Soundwave to the sheet. His field projected fear, an unusual emotion for the gladiator that served as a catalyst to Soundwave’s own fear. He felt his spark quicken, pulsing with each revolution. 

“Sir, what’s happening?” The dispatcher asked. “Keep talking, Sir.”

“I’m applying pressure. Is that it?!” Megatron brought the sheet between Soundwave’s thighs, holding it in front of his panel. He glanced at Soundwave, hesitating to apply pressure to such a sensitive area. 

With trembling servos, Soundwave reached for the sheet. Megatron let him take it and watched as he pressed it up to his closed panel, holding it in place with his thin digits. A low keen escaped his vocalizer as he felt the mesh dampen around his servos. He was loosing a lot of energon... It was just flowing out of him...

“Just keep doing what you’re doing. The transport’s nearly there, okay? Keep him conscious, keep him processing.”

“They’re almost here...” Soundwave couldn’t tell if Megatron was whispering to him or himself. Either way, Soundwave couldn’t help the pulse of panic in his spark. He didn’t like medics. He didn’t trust them. Too many dark memories arose from his past at the mere mention of a medical professional. 

His body... How it had been permanently altered with the order of a mech other than himself... How medics, most likely long without a license, had carried out the procedures... 

A knock at the door.

Soundwave’s frame trembled as he held back a sob. This couldn’t be happening. This was the last thing he wanted... Poking, prodding... Plates removed, systems altered, equipment added... He reached for Megatron, servo slick with his own energon, as the gladiator left his side to get the door. He could hardly keep himself together when he heard the door slide open and two pairs of pedesteps enter the apartment. 

“He’s in the berthroom.” Soundwave watched the gladiator’s reflection on the apartment floor until he was in sight, crossing over the threshold. 

Two emergency medical technicians followed him inside. The first, a purple and white femme, the second, a bright orange mech with a splash of violet in his optics. 

The femme didn’t look at him before she stepped to the side of the berth. He flinched as she sat beside him, beginning to empty her subspace on the berth. 

“Good, good, good,” the other EMT, the mech, glanced down at where he held the sheet to his closed panel. “Keep that there. Even if you feel it stop bleeding, keep the pressure on.” 

Soundwave’s servos unconsciously tightened around the dampened sheet. His field burned with a mixture of fear and embarrassment, and he strained to pull it in tight so the medics wouldn’t detect any emotion from him. All of his sensors were on the two EMTs, watching their movements carefully. 

“What’re his vitals? Get me his vitals,” the femme asked as she emptied her subspace, arranging a series of devices.

The mech, leaned over him, obviously scanning. “Slightly lowered temp, high spark rate, and very high energon pressure.” He paused. “Systems are less than 15%, overall. He’s critically low.”

The femme nodded. “He’s going to need a transfusion right now. We can’t transport him unless he’s stable,” she removed thin tubing from her subspace and threw it to the mech. “Get him hooked up. I’ll get the energon ready.” She lifted a metal hook, magnetizing it to the headboard, then hung a bag of energon on the hook. 

The mech nodded and moved closer to his side. Soundwave squirmed uncomfortably, shifting away from the EMT as he lifted a plate on his side and pinched the tubing into his protoform. The mech then grabbed a set of wires, attaching the electrodes to various locations on his chassis. 

“Try not to move,” the EMT tapped at the lines attached to Soundwave’s protoform. “You’re getting an emergency energon transfusion.”

Soundwave shuddered when he saw the energon lines and the flow of cyan fluid flowing into him. He squirmed on the berth, an uncomfortable cry held back by his silenced vocalizer. His plating felt like it was crawling, and his insides burned as the new energon entered directly into his energon lines. 

“Can you tell me what happened?” The femme turned to Megatron, her optics on the data pad in her servos connected to the lines attached to Soundwave’s protoform. 

Megatron hesitated, struggling to arrange his thoughts. “Nothing... H-he was just lying here. Then I could feel—T-then he was leaking energon. I didn’t do anything to him.” 

The femme nodded, returning her optics to Soundwave. “Is there any history I need to know about? Any viruses? Any protocols?” 

He wouldn’t know his history. He didn’t even know his creators... No viruses... but protocols? Could that include his carrier protocols? Soundwave wasn’t even sure most of his carrier protocols had activated. His body hadn’t initiated the delivery process. He likely would’ve offlined if Shockwave hadn’t performed surgery... So his faulty carrier protocols probably didn’t count.

He shook his helm to the femme. She nodded.

“Do you know how this could’ve happened?” The mech asked, his optics on the energon lines leading out of Soundwave’s protoform. He glanced at Megatron. “I usually wouldn’t ask this, but what in the Allspark have you two been doing in berth to cause such injuries?”

Both Soundwave and Megatron’s frame stiffened. Megatron was the first to speak, “I told you I didn’t do anything to him,” he snarled. “He was about to fall into recharge when the bleeding started.” 

“Just out of nowhere?” The femme asked.

“Yes!”

“Maybe it’s old scarring that never healed completely?” The mech suggested. “His system reports show signs of interface after interface followed by interior growth, at least for the last stellar cycle.”

“Stellar cycle...” the femme mumbled. She returned her optics to her data pad for just a moment before laying them on Soundwave again. “Sir, is there any way you could be carrying or have just carried?” 

The pulse of surprise in his field was enough of an answer. 

The femme smiled. “Wh-ell, that explains it.” She scribbled something on the data pad. 

“Congratulations,” the mech grabbed his arm, squeezing it gently. “I’m hoping the delivery was okay?” 

Soundwave didn’t answer. His optics remained forward, trained on the gladiator standing in the door way. Megatron was watching both the EMTs through narrowed optics. His field contained jagged stripes of anger. The EMTs’ demeanors has rapidly changed. Did they know Soundwave was still bleeding out? Or had the knowledge of the sparkling distracted them? 

“Alright, I’ve got a couple more questions for you,” the femme scrolled down her data pad. 

“Hold on,” Megatron interrupted. “What about Soundwave? He’s bleeding out and you want to ask him questions?”

The femme met Megatron’s optics. “Soundwave is fine. This bleeding is common, natural even. His frame is expelling the excess energon and mineral stockpile stored for the sparkling. It’s a lot of energon—much more than usual—but it’s not dangerous.” Her optics narrowed. “It would’ve been nice to know he just carried when we walked in the door.” 

Megatron frowned, growing defensive. “I didn’t know he was carrying until the cycle he delivered.”

The mech turned, cocking his helm at Megatron with a grin. “Do you not know what a carrying mech looks like?” 

“He didn’t look like he was carrying,” Megatron said. “His abdomen was... larger, but there was no distinct bulge. I suspected he was, but he sure didn’t act like it. There were no signs.”

The femme grunted. “Well, you’re correct in that aspect: He doesn’t show the traditional signs. He fooled my medical grade scanners, too.” 

“Is the sparkling small?” The mech asked. He leaned over Soundwave, gesturing at the soaked sheet he still held to his interface panel. “It would’ve had to be tiny for that much excess energon.”

The femme nodded. “Yeah. How small was it?”

Tiny. The sparkling is a mini-con after all. His carrier protocols didn’t even know how to handle it. But the EMTs couldn’t know that... He feared what would happen if the word got out that the mini-con was his, although he knew it was inevitable. Kaon was a divided place with much social strife. Mini-cons in particular were marginalized. He’d never heard of a bot getting sparked by a mini-con. There was no way to know how the population of Kaon would react to him and his sparkling.

“It’s all fine,” Megatron answered for Soundwave. 

The femme nodded. “Have you been refueling?” She asked, her optics leaving the data pad to trail over his visor. “Your tank is at 25%.”

Soundwave didn’t give a response. He remained still, optics forward. He did refuel... Just not much...

The femme continued. “I can tell from your statistics alone that you’ve been consuming half a cube each cycle. A detriment to your health.” She glanced at him. “Mechs your size need three medium-sized energon cubes every cycle. No excuses.”

Beneath his visor, Soundwave narrowed his optics. The EMT was correct: he didn’t fulfill his daily energon intake. But that wasn’t due to “excuses.” It’s not a choice, it’s a necessity, to consume below the minimum required energon intake. Energon, although abundant on Cybertron, is not an inalienable right. The life-blood of all Cybertronians can be hard to come by, especially in Kaon. To survive, he had to be satisfied with less. 

The femme hummed. “I’m tempted to admit you into the medical facility overnight so I can monitor your vitals and ensure everything’s functioning properly.” 

Soundwave shook his helm quickly, then glanced over at Megatron to see his reaction. The gladiator was watching the femme, optics on her data pad, field pulled in tight. 

“We’re not qualified to check your valve, but I can tell you now, there’s no doubt cybernetic bacteria or corrosive puss building up in your valve canal. It would be worthwhile to have you checked by a professional.” 

Medics feeling around in his valve? The thought was revolting. Soundwave glanced at Megatron. He knew the gladiator wasn’t a telepath (he’d never met another telepath in his functioning), but he still tried to project his displeasure of an overnight hospital visit to the gladiator. 

Megatron seemed to get the hint. He looked at each EMT. “He will be staying here.”

The femme looked over at Megatron with a frown. “We weren’t asking you. It’s his decision if he goes or not. No ones making him. So, what’s the decision?”

Soundwave froze as all optics were on him. It was his decision? He... He shouldn’t be surprised. He’s a grown mech. He’s no longer a sparkling, no longer easily exploited. All of his decisions with his frame were his to make now.

Soundwave shook his helm once. 

The femme nodded. “Alright. Well, I’d really like to try to convince you otherwise, but it’s your decision.” She returned to the side of the berth, placing the many devices back in her subspace as the mech unhooked him from the tubes and wires. “Remember that you can always go to the hospital if things worsen once we leave.”

“Yeah. And Soundwave’s systems are still recovering and will remain sensitive for the next couple of cycles,” the mech added, glancing at Megatron. “It should be self-explanatory, but no interfacing until Soundwave is fully healed.”

The femme nodded. “I also recommend that Soundwave remains off his pedes for the next two cycles. He needs time to recover, which I can only assume he hasn’t been getting...”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Megatron growled. 

The femme ignored him. “And make sure Soundwave has at least three medium-sized energon cubes a cycle. Force feed him if you have to,” she pointed a digit at Megatron. “You’re one of those underground fighters, right? Shouldn’t be a problem for you.”


	4. A New Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Soundwave and Megatron are adjusting to caring for a sparkling. When Megatron must return to the Pits, he supplies Soundwave with help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just had a major editing marathon and decided to finish up this chapter to get it posted!
> 
> If there are any errors or typos I may have missed, just let me know and I'll get it fixed.

Once the EMTs left the apartment, the frantic activity began to slow down. 

Soundwave watched Megatron with suspicion as he reentered the berthroom from seeing the EMTs out. The gladiator stopped at the edge of the berth almost as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how. Soundwave didn’t move from where he’d repositioned himself. Even when he felt the thought of Megatron theorizing how to get him out of the berth, he remained still. 

Megatron, although not a telepath, seemed to sense his distaste for the undignified “force-feeding” the EMTs had suggested. He walked around to the side of the berth to slip underneath the mesh covers. “Let’s not worry about this tonight,” he murmured. 

Soundwave remained still as he felt the gladiator settle behind him. Unlike before, his servo didn’t reach to wrap around his waist. The gladiator had his back to him. Knowing this, Soundwave still didn’t move. Even when he felt the gladiator drift off into recharge, he stayed perfectly still. 

He didn’t know how he should feel about recharging in the same berth as Megatron and he really didn’t know why. This wasn’t the first time he’d been in the gladiator’s berth. He was always in Megatron’s berth when they interfaced. Since moving in, interface was almost an every-cycle occurrence and a permanent part of their nightly schedule. Megatron would always ask, Soundwave would comply, and when they finished, Soundwave would return to the guest berth. They never recharged together postcoitally. Never. That’s what made recharging together now so strange to Soundwave. Why would the gladiator tolerate his presence without anything in return? 

These thoughts plagued Soundwave for most of the night, holding him just over the edge of recharge. He didn’t feel comfortable recharging next to the gladiator, especially now since he was fidgeting in his recharge. Megatron was built strong. Even in recharge, Soundwave could imagine a fist from the mech punching a hole in his armor. 

Soundwave slowly twisted around, adjusting his position to face the gladiator. Megatron still had his back to him, giving Soundwave a front-row view of the trembling cables through his posterior plating. The gladiator turned, his helm thumping against the berth with an agitated grunt. Soundwave would’ve thought he was awake if he couldn’t sense the activity in Megatron’s processor. Soundwave decided to listen in on whatever Megatron was dreaming about. 

It was as easy as wirelessly connecting to a datapad. Once he was connected, he was fully immersed in Megatron’s dream and found that it was about... him.

Soundwave watched himself. He was sprawled in a puddle of his own energon on the floor of Megatron’s apartment, trembling with spasms. His long arms wrapped around his midsection, pressing down hard as if he was trying to push something out. 

Soundwave couldn’t see for himself, but he seemed to already know that his carrier protocols hadn’t activated the birthing sequence. He was straining to push something out that wasn't coming out, and he had no one there to help this time. 

Soundwave felt helpless watching, but at the same time, there was nothing he could do. He had no frame in the dream. He was an isolated consciousness. All he could do was watch and feel the way his spark pulsed faster and faster with the increased stress until it burst.

Soundwave was barely able to retain a startled gasp. He rapidly blinked his optics to break the telepathic connection. He just offlined in Megatron’s dream... Soundwave’s optics flashed over to Megatron who was still tense. Why was the gladiator even thinking about this? This dream was obviously stressing him out. Was he angry at him or guilty? Guilt seemed most likely, but why would the gladiator feel guilty? Soundwave had kept his carriage guarded. He hadn’t wanted Megatron to know. So it’s not the gladiator’s fault he wasn’t aware of the sparkling on the way. 

The gladiator’s dream suddenly cut off, almost too fast for Soundwave to catch. Megatron abruptly shot upright, clutching at his chest, and venting heavily. Beside the disturbed gladiator, Soundwave remained still. He could feel his optics on him.

Soundwave barely suppressed a flinch as he felt the gladiator’s arm slip around his waist, holding him close as he fell into recharge once more. 

— —

The next cycle, Soundwave awoke to Megatron sitting next to him, holding the sparkling awkwardly in his large arms. Soundwave tilted his helm up to watch the gladiator as he continuously readjusted his grip to accommodate for the squirming sparkling. 

“Good morning, Soundwave,” Megatron said, adjusting his grip once again. “Recharge well?”

Before Soundwave could answer, the sparkling released a wail that set off his coding. He instantly reached to take the sparkling from Megatron. The gladiator handed him over and leaned back to watch as he held the sparkling before his transforming chest plates. The sparkling latched on a klik later, his wails turning into pleasant coos as he sucked in energon. Soundwave looked up from the sparkling to see Megatron watching him feed. 

The gladiator’s helm snapped up when he sensed Soundwave’s optics on him. “If you want, I can hold him for you while you use the wash racks,” he quickly offered. “Once he finishes refueling, of course.”

Soundwave narrowed his optics at the gladiator. Part of him didn’t want to give up the sparkling, especially after hearing his cries when the gladiator had first brought him into the berthroom, but the other part, the telepathic part, could feel Megatron’s genuine consideration for him. The gladiator wanted to give him a chance of “alone time,” and Soundwave was thankful if a bit hesitant. 

He brought his servos up to gently coax the sparkling from the feeding nozzle. The sparkling let out an angry chirp and clenched down harder, but despite his efforts to keep feeding, Soundwave was able to dislodge him from his chest plates and hand him to Megatron. “He’s done.” 

The gladiator stiffened as the sparkling was placed in his arms but quickly adjusted to support him. His field jittered with nervousness when Soundwave let go, and Soundwave felt very much the same. His carrier coding didn't want him to hand the sparkling over to a mech other than the sire, but he had lived with Megatron long enough for the coding to classify him as a "personal guardian," so Soundwave was able to override it. 

The sparking laid still across the gladiator's forearm, his tiny wings hanging down each side. Then he began to twist his helm to look around, and seeing that he wasn't in his carrier's arms, he began to wail. Megatron's optics widened and he looked to Soundwave, shifting on his pedes as if he wanted to hand him back. Fighting his carrier coding, Soundwave reached to adjust the gladiator's hold on the sparkling so that he laid in the crook of his arm. At the change in position, the sparkling began to calm down and Megatron's frame visibly relaxed. 

“Thanks,” Megatron sighed, still watching the tiny frame in his arms, and even though his sparkling had calmed down, Soundwave stayed. He wasn’t exactly sure if it was his carrier coding keeping him here or his own doing, whichever one, he didn’t have to wait for long to be relieved. 

Megatron smiled softly at him. “Get yourself washed, I’ve got him. Believe it or not, this isn't the first sparkling I've held.”

Soundwave nodded, and with a final check of the gladiator’s hold on the sparkling, he slid out of the berth to head for the wash racks. He didn’t question Megatron’s previous experience with sparklings. They were more common than they should’ve been in the mines. More workers were always needed, more than cold construction could provide. Through the forced breedings issued by the guards, horrific spark rape in the mines, or rare instances of consensual reproduction, sparklings were always present.

Soundwave entered the wash racks. They were connected to the side of Megatron’s berthroom, thankfully with a door attached so Soundwave could have some form of privacy. The room was fairly large, almost large enough to be considered its own berthroom despite the cold floor and drain. The openness made the wash racks ironically uninviting. 

He stepped under the nozzle closest to the door and turned the solvent on to immediately have freezing cold solvent wash down his spinal struts. Soundwave shivered but remained where he was. He wanted to get this done as soon as possible. He didn’t want to be apart from the sparkling—his sparkling for long, even though he was just in the other room. His carrier protocols burned in his processor, turning his own thoughts obsessive. 

Where is the sparkling? I can’t see the sparkling. Megatron could be doing something to the sparkling. The sparkling is in danger. Need to get back to the sparkling.

Soundwave squeezed his optics shut behind his visor. The sparkling was fine, he knew that, but just to humor himself, he focused on the gladiator’s processor to find that he was absolutely in awe with the tiny frame in his arms, projecting nothing but content thoughts. Megatron's field was out farther than he usually kept it, sending out pulses of love that didn't feel like the gladiator, but Soundwave knew it was. Soundwave felt immense pride brighten his spark that warmed his frame faster than the solvent. His sparkling. Megatron was holding his sparkling. 

And Rumble's... 

Soundwave leaned back into the warming solvent, tipping his helm into the stream in an attempt to forget. This had all been a foolish miscalculation, and all of it his fault. He'd never wanted to be sparked, the thought had never been on his processor for a single klik of his functioning. Although... Maybe that thought wouldn't have been too far away. He loved the brothers. They'd been the first two bots in his entire functioning to treat him better than a common drone. With their help, he was able to escape the lowest point of his functioning. For that alone, he'd been quick to want to bond with them. Rumble was first. And that ended in his current predicament...

Megatron's loving field managed to brush up against Soundwave's and he felt another pulse of pride. He sighed. If this awful mistake hadn't happened, his sparkling wouldn't exist, and even though he'd only known his sparkling for a few cycles, he already loved him. He loved him so much it was almost enough to convince him that things would be okay and Rumble and Frenzy would return to Kaon to meet his sparkling. 

Soundwave let the gladiator's field brush up against his as he began to rub at the dried energon caked around his legs and interface equipment. Once the dried energon had been cleared, he began to notice other speckles of dust or spots of imperfection. A thorough washing had been long overdue. He hadn’t cleaned himself since before he delivered his sparkling. Soundwave contemplated washing his entire frame but decided against it and turned the solvent off. He grabbed a towel on the rack beside the door to the berthroom and quickly dried himself off so he could join Megatron and his sparkling. 

When Soundwave exited the wash racks, he found that Megatron had moved from the berthroom into the main room. He walked into the main room, droplets of solvent dripping down the seams in his thin armor. The gladiator sat on the long couch with his pedes up. His sparkling was still in Megatron's arms, and a quick scan confirmed that the sparkling was happily resting. 

Soundwave took the smaller seat adjacent to the couch and watched Megatron. 

When was he planning to give it back? The sparkling's not his. Does he realize that? Megatron wants to claim the sparkling, take it for himself. 

Soundwave tensed against his carrier coding pushing him to try and claw his sparkling from the gladiator's arms just as he carefully shifted closer to Soundwave. Soundwave watched, eyeing his sparkling. The gladiator's servos shifted around the sparkling to better hold onto him as he held the tiny frame out to Soundwave. He took his sparkling back and placed him against his loose abdominal plating. 

“Stay right there,” Megatron fully stood from the couch and headed into the kitchen. 

Soundwave watched him closely, keeping one optic on the gladiator and the other on his sparkling as the former rummaged around through the cupboards. The gladiator found what he was looking for and came back to the sitting area. 

“Three energon cubes,” The gladiator returned with the cubes in servo. Each cube thumped against the table as the gladiator placed them in front of Soundwave. “Obviously you do not have to finish these now, but I expect you to get through them by the end of the cycle.” 

The gladiator sat back down on the couch across from him, watching Soundwave. Soundwave didn't immediately take any of the cubes, causing concern to spread across Megatron's faceplates. Soundwave looked at the gladiator. It made him feel uncomfortable, to be under such focus. He wasn't hungry. Even though his systems read 36%, he felt fine. He wasn't even sure if he could refuel if commanded at gunpoint. 

“Why haven’t you been refueling?” Megatron asked, concern still in his optics. 

“I’m functioning,” he replied. He didn't want to be talking about this.

“Far from sufficiently,” Megatron scoffed. 

Soundwave didn’t respond to that. 

Megatron continued. “There is more than enough energon for both of us, so if quantity isn’t an issue, what is it?” 

Soundwave really thought of what the issue was so he could supply both himself and Megatron with an answer. He would’ve thought that his energon consumption, or lack thereof, was simply due to carrier protocols coercing him into what was best for the sparkling. When he'd first moved in with Megatron he'd been very hypervigilant, nearly to the point of exhaustion. He recorded every bit of information he observed about the gladiator in an attempt not to set him off, which included refueling when the gladiator wasn't present unless he specifically asked for his presence during refuel. But Soundwave knew this wasn't the definitive answer. He'd starved himself before, back with Rumble and Frenzy. He'd limited his energon intakes to save for the mini-cons when they were denied their rations. They'd all kept each other functioning, taking less or more of their ration when required. This starvation ritual was all he had left of the brothers. 

Soundwave's optics flashed back to the gladiator, realizing he was still watching. Megatron sighed. “Fine, you don’t have to tell me why, but from now on I want you refueling, alright?" 

Soundwave nodded in affirmation, and the gladiator relaxed. 

"That's good," Megatron said, although his thoughts were louder. Soundwave listened in on them. They were rapid, rushing like a river of coolant. But his thoughts seemed very far away, and Soundwave quickly realized that the gladiator was going through downloaded maps and prearranged plans. 

“You’re leaving.”

Megatron's optics angled up at him, taking his statement as a question. “No, not yet. I plan to stay here with you for a few breems.”

Soundwave hadn’t questioned further, yet the gladiator continued. “I’ve been absent from the arenas for the last few cycles and I think it’s time I return.”

Soundwave nodded once, absently turning the energon cube in his servos. “I should return as well.”

Megatron watched him in silence for a moment. “No,” he finally said. “You’re not going back to the Pits of Kaon.”

Soundwave narrowed his optics at him. 

“It would be best for you to remain here,” Megatron quickly explained, glancing over at the sparkling. “To recover. And to take care of him.”

Soundwave looked down at the sparkling too, his chin resting against his chest plates. "Reasonable," he decided. For now. 

"Now," Megatron hesitated, but just for a moment. “I’ve asked Shockwave to come over and watch you while I’m gone.”

His helm snapped up. “That’s highly unnecessary,” Soundwave was quick to reply because it was. The very concept of him, a former gladiator, needing the defense of a scientist was what the mech in question would say: illogical. 

“Soundwave,” Megatron rumbled, having known this would be his reaction. “The entire complex is aware of the sparkling. Most want to meet him and see how you’re fairing, but mechs can be cruel. I don’t want you to be targeted.”

Soundwave didn’t respond, he just wrapped his thin arm around the back of his sparkling, holding it where it nuzzled against his loose abdominal protoform, keeping his optics forward. 

Megatron spoke through the silence. “I really do not like the thought of you alone with the sparkling.”

“I can manage,” Soundwave spoke with a slight edge.

Megatron stared at him with darkened optics and Soundwave immediately closed his processor off to the gladiator’s thoughts. He didn’t want to see some imaginary situation the gladiator put together to feed his worries about his safety. 

“My time away from the Pits must have made you forget my ability,” Soundwave dared. He knew it would come across as a challenge, that's what he'd meant for it to sound like. He didn't want Megatron to think he was weak or that he needed protection. He was more than capable of staying alone in an empty apartment by himself without the assistant of Shockwave.

Megatron paused. “No, I haven’t forgotten. I know you’re a force to be reckoned with. But that was a stellar cycle ago. You’ve been staying in my home since then and haven't left once to stretch your pedes.”

“Carrier coding is strong. I’m strong,” Soundwave added before the gladiator could go on about how he wasn’t prepared to take on a fight. He could still hold his own. He'd never been about brute strength. His processor was a lot stronger than his frame, and his telepathic abilities utilized as a weapon made him dangerous. 

"I know that..." Megatron said, his tone becoming more hardened. "Shockwave is still coming over. I've invited him over to my residence and I don't intend to send him away."

Beneath his visor, Soundwave frowned but nodded his helm in silent acceptance. "What if I accompany you, Megatron?" He tried.

Megatron shook his helm. "Then I would require a sparklingsitter. Personally, I don't trust anyone but you to watch your sparkling. I'd think you'd be the same way."

He was the same way. He didn't want anyone left alone with his sparkling. In fact, he'd been planning to enter the Pits of Kaon with his sparkling docked to his chest plates. However, he knew Megatron would be averse to that idea, and logically, Soundwave knew that wasn't the best of plans. Many of the fights in the Pits don't make it into the arenas. It's easy to get stomped on.

"Then when is Shockwave arriving," Soundwave asked. 

Megatron's frame seemed to relax. "I told him to start heading over while you were in the wash racks. He should be here shortly." 

True to Megatron's word, Shockwave did arrive shortly. Soundwave had been still been seated with his sparkling on his lap when Megatron let the scientist in. The two of them exchanged a few shallow greetings before the scientist was led over to Soundwave. Soundwave's arms went rigid against his sparkling. He didn't like the way the scientist's single optic watched his sparkling as if he was already wondering what tests he could preform on him, and how Soundwave couldn't even confirm his suspicions. His telepathy only went so far with the empurata victim. 

"Soundwave," the scientist's monotone voice caught his attention. "For new carriers such as yourself, I have read that it is customary to bring gifts for the purpose of aid and to eliminate unnecessary stress." He took out the small devices he'd been holding to his side and handed them to Soundwave. Soundwave took them, inspecting them carefully.

"A sparkling monitor," Shockwave answered the obvious question. "Logically, I figured that it would be less taxing on your systems and allow you to focus on other matters to have a device that can monitor your sparkling for you. Although, I could upgrade the device to do more or even integrate it into your systems. You could be able to keep track of your sparkling at long distance without a device."

Soundwave didn't say anything to Shockwave, although he knew for a fact it wouldn't hurt his nonexistent feelings. In truth, he appreciated the small gift and the thought that must have went into it, but he couldn't bring himself to thank Shockwave when he hadn't had time to check for bugs. 

Megatron's optics switched between the two of them multiple times before he finally spoke. "I'm leaving. Don't let anyone in unless you comm me first." Megatron watched Soundwave. "And if you sense any danger, no matter how far away you detect it, comm me and I'll be back in an instant."

"Will do, Megatron," Shockwave bowed his helm slightly. 

Megatron's optics passed over Soundwave one more time before the door transformed apart for him to leave, and Soundwave was left alone with only Shockwave to keep him company. 

Shockwave turned to face him. “Megatron has requested I stay here to assure you are sufficiently refueling.” 

"I am aware."

Shockwave nodded, his optic angling to look at the three untouched energon cubes set in front of him. "Have you refueled at all this cycle?" 

Soundwave didn't answer. This was going to be a lot more difficult than he had thought it would be. He attempted to stand from his seat only to have Shockwave block his way and apply slight pressure to his shoulders. “It is recommended for you to rest. If you require an item, I may retrieve it for you.”

"I am fine," Soundwave shouldered the scientist off of him and began for the guest berth. He could hear Shockwave's heavy pedesteps following him. He was about to spin around to snap at Shockwave when his sparkling cried out. It had been recharging for awhile. It was probably hungry again. 

Soundwave gently led the sparkling’s intake up to his feeding nozzle, holding it to his side with an arm as it latched on to feed. The sparkling was much stronger now. He could nearly hold himself up without support. Tiny hooks on the sparkling’s wings gripped onto the edges of his chest armor, leaving Soundwave with a free arm to do whatever work he wanted to do while Megatron was gone. Surveillance would be the best way to pass the time. It was easy to plug himself into the devices at the back of the spare berthroom and scan the entirety of Kaon. He could watch Megatron in the arenas, or he could also continuing his search for the brothers. 

On the way to the spare berthroom, his sparkling lost the feeding nozzle and smeared lines of energon across Soundwave's chest plates as he tried to find it again. Soundwave gently led his sparkling back to the nozzle. He immediately latched on again, sucking with a pulse of frustration in his field. Soundwave took no notice of it. He’d read that the synthesized energon produced by carriers was easy to filter. Because of this, new sparks needed to feed upwards of fifteen to even twenty times a cycle. His sparkling was still hungry. 

“The sparkling is distressed.”

Soundwave threw a look over his shoulder at Shockwave who had moved across the floor to stand behind him. The scientist’s single optic focused intensely on where the sparkling's intake connected to his feeding nozzle. Soundwave shifted, putting his back to the scientist. “The sparkling is fine.”

“Cries signal distress in sparklings,” Shockwave pressed. “And at this specific frequency, I can only assume the sparkling is lacking necessary nutrients.”

Soundwave glared at Shockwave again. The sparkling was currently being fed. He was fine. And who was Shockwave to tell him about his sparkling? “The well-being of the sparkling is none of your concern,” he turned his back to the scientist. 

Still, Shockwave continued. “It’s logical that your internal feeding pouches are empty.” 

Soundwave stopped. 

“Megatron gave me the results of the tests run on your frame last night so that I can watch you more adequately,” he said. “Your fuel consumption is below the optimal zone. In this situation, all energon intake is directed to the carrier’s mandatory systems, not the energon pouches, until a more reliable source of energon is acquired.” 

Shockwave moved to stand beside the desk, meeting Soundwave’s optics. “You must refuel, Soundwave, for both your sake and the sparkling’s. Otherwise, I’ve brought various tools for alternative feeding.”

Force-feeding? For who? Him or the sparkling? Either way, Soundwave didn't want Shockwave's "alternative feeding." 

"Bring me a cube," he ordered. 

The scientist disappeared into the main room, returning a moment later with one of the three energon cubes in his servo. “This will allow you to synthesize energon for the sparkling,” 

Soundwave took it in his free servo. He turned his shoulder to Shockwave as he retracted his visor to be able to down the cube. Already, it felt like too much energon, but he managed to get all the fluid down his intake. He then set the cube down on the berth and started for the devices in the back of the room. 

“I’ve researched the carrying process," Shockwave spoke from behind him. "Your sparkling’s survival is most illogical."

Soundwave turned back towards the scientist. "Illogical?"

Shockwave nodded. "Sparkling growth requires transfluid from the sire, whom of which you were not in contact with. Added that you’ve been refusing fuel, the sparkling should’ve been absorbed back into your frame. It should not be nearly as healthy and strong as it is."

Soundwave wasn't sure if Shockwave's last comment had been a compliment. Most likely it wasn't and was just an observation. However, the observation still got him thinking. 

Shockwave continued. "There are locations where a carrier without a partner can receive donated transfluid for their sparkling, but as far as I'm aware, you never left Megatron's apartment during your time with him."

He caught a malicious flicker on the scientist's faint field.

Shockwave's detailed analysis was interesting, at least to listen to. Soundwave hadn't been thinking much of his sparkling's growth when he still carried him. He had only been thinking of protecting him, which brought him back to the cyclic interfacing between himself and the gladiator. Then it hit him: Megatron was the reason his sparkling had survived. Through his refusal of fuel and overall lack of care for himself, the gladiator's transfluid had kept his sparkling alive. His sparkling was strong because of Megatron.

When Soundwave shook himself of his major realization and focused back in on Shockwave, the scientist was still going on about how his sparkling had managed to survive. Soundwave detected another flicker of a faint field. This time, the field felt stronger. He narrowed his optics and stared at the scientist only to realize that the faint pulse of a field hadn't been from him. It hadn't even been of someone in the room. The malicious field was in the hallway right outside the door to the apartment.

Soundwave immediately turned away from Shockwave and telepathically reached out for the unknown mech's processor. He couldn't make out a lot, but he could tell that the mech was nervous but determined. They had the specific processor waves of mechs who were about to commit an atrocity. He'd seen it before. Growing up in Kaon's mines gave him a front-row seat of violence and the knowledge of what a mech's unconscious thoughts looked like when they were about to commit a murder. And worst of all, he could detect a weapon hidden in their subspace. 

"...As I highly doubt your beastformer sparkling is a prophet of Primus, this would be illogical. Prophets in generally are illogical and the evidence supporting their validity is scarce if nonexistent."

“Shockwave: silence," Soundwave whispered as something sturdy slammed against the front door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger! This chapter was getting a little long and it was probably going to end in a cliffhanger anyway. 
> 
> I'm going to do my best to get another chapter out in the upcoming weeks.


	5. Everything's Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soundwave and Shockwave get their own help dealing with a threat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I have yet to say this: thanks for the comments and kudos! 
> 
> I would never have anticipated this fic to get 70+ kudos and over a thousand hits.
> 
> Thank you all so much!

The thud hadn't registered at first. Soundwave’s processor wanted to dismiss it as an every cycle occurrence of some mech in an adjacent room knocking something off a shelf. The next thud, however, was resounding, and undeniably at the front door. 

Soundwave stiffened, opening his commlink in preparation. He should contact Megatron. That’s what the gladiator had told him to do if something made him unnerved, but something was making him hesitate... Why was he hesitating? This mech had a weapon and he didn’t have to read into his thoughts to know that he intended to use it. 

Another thud at the door, louder than last time. 

A questioning ping from the other end of the commlink surprised Soundwave. Megatron could feel him hesitate. Once again, he stiffened. In the brief pause, he could actually feel his carrier protocols adjusting certain elements in the advent of the mech at the door. Megatron, who had previously been classified as little more than a safe mech, was now being redefined as the sire, as his sparkling's sire, and a voice in the back of his processor was urging him to get him here as fast as possible.

He quickly shut the link, not like it would make any difference. The gladiator already knew he'd tried to contact him and didn't go through with it. Megatron would probably come back on his own and Soundwave wouldn’t have to ask him. He wasn’t... comfortable asking him, and he didn’t know why. His own protocols were trying to get him to contact Megatron, defining him as safe, even going ahead to define him as his sparkling’s sire (which he would have to rewrite assuming the mech outside the door didn’t get in). Still, he couldn’t. Did he feel guilty contacting him? No... Was he afraid of it? Maybe... Or maybe he didn’t want to risk Megatron refusing to come back. He’s already relied on the gladiator so much. What if this break-in was the tipping point that sent him and his sparkling to the streets?

Soundwave released the in-vent he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and stalked out of the spare berthroom into the main room. He stood still, nothing but the front door between him and the mech outside. Why was this mech even trying to break into Megatron’s apartment? Megatron is one of the toughest mechs in all of Kaon. It would be suicide to break into his apartment while he was here. But he wasn’t here... The mech had to know this...

“I suggest you do not open that door,” Soundwave nearly jumped as Shockwave approached him from behind. 

Soundwave threw a look over his shoulder to the scientist, frowning beneath his visor. Against his chest plates, the sparkling’s tiny wings flapped with a small cry. He looked down at him. He must have detected the increased fear in his field. Soundwave brought his unoccupied arm up to stroke the sparkling’s back gently in an attempt to calm him down. To his relief, it worked. His sparkling began to relax against his frame, helm nuzzling his narrow seams in an attempt to burrow into them. He stopped feeling the tiny nuzzles as he focused his sensors on the outside mech's thoughts. He immediately saw an image of a mech sneaking through Megatron's apartment. Most of the image was blurry, the way thoughts usually appeared when a mech was imagining something they'd never seen before. Only one thing in the entire thought was crystal clear: an image of an unfamiliar sparkling inside a cradle. 

Soundwave's servos tightened around his own sparkling. He was unable to stop the next spike of fear in his field as he tried to suppress what he’d just seen. This mech was going to take his sparkling from him if he couldn’t stop him, and stopping him was the only option his carrier protocols gave him. 

Soundwave was already stepping towards the front door, data cables pressurizing to flare out, when he felt a servo snag his arm. Shockwave quickly released him, “I think it’s most logical to follow Megatron’s request to contact him before this situation escalates.”

Soundwave quickly shook his helm, fighting against his rewritten protocols. In his processor, there was no time for contacting Megatron, no matter if the gladiator would show up or not. Soundwave knew how quickly doors could be broken down and he needed to be ready. If this mech had a plan to take his sparkling, then it would be from his cold, gunmetal-gray frame.

Shockwave stood silently and watched as he walked to stand right in front of the door. The mech on the outside froze when he detected Soundwave’s field. He must have thought the apartment was empty, that, or he thought they were in recharge. The mech released a cough which was accompanied by the sound of him shoving whatever he’d been using to try and break the door down back into his subspace. 

“Open up,” a gruff voice commanded. “Elite Guard.” 

Soundwave went rigid. Beside him, Shockwave did the same. The Elite Guard were soldiers in direct service of the Prime himself. If this soldier was here it meant that he had been given orders.

Soundwave skimmed through his most recent memory files in an attempt to find what law had been violated. In the last three cycles, he’d only left the apartment to go to Shockwave’s lab long enough to have his sparkling and rest. Afterward, he was taken straight back to Megatron’s apartment. There was nothing he’d done to pique the Elite Guard, so that only left Megatron. Megatron was the champion of the illegal gladiatorial games in Kaon, but he had been for a while. To come after him now would only cause public outcry. 

“Open this door, I won’t ask again!” The same voice snapped. 

He met Shockwave’s single optic. The scientist was projecting the closest expression to fear he could, and although he couldn’t pick through the scientist’s mind, he could almost feel the rapid thoughts flowing through his processor. This wouldn’t be the first time the Elite Guard were after the scientist, but this time, Soundwave knew for a fact they weren’t. Unless they’d been following Shockwave, they had no way of knowing he was in Megatron’s apartment. They had to be after him...

His sparkling shifted against his chest plates, chirping sharply. Soundwave in-vented and tried to steady his field. He was anxious, and his field was only triggering his previously calmed sparkling. The last thing he needed was a crying sparkling...

“I’m Elite Guard! If you don’t open this door I won’t hesitate to break it down!”

You weren’t hesitating to break it down before, Soundwave wanted to snap but didn’t. Instead, he pinged the outside mech a quick affirmative and reached to open the door. His digits stopped just before the door controls as he caught sight of his sparkling still curled in his arms. He needed to hide him first. He couldn’t let the Elite Guard see him. The sparkling would have to dock. He lifted him to his chest plates. The sparkling instinctively grabbed on, transforming his tiny body to attach to his. Soundwave ex-vented a silent sigh of relief only to stiffen up again as he reached to open the front door. 

The door transformed away to reveal a smaller mech, too small to be a Kaon native, who stood slightly hunched over from age. The mech did have Elite Guard sigils on him. Retired Elite Guard sigils... Long retired. Soundwave could only vaguely remember seeing the older sigil design sometime when he was still a sparkling. This mech claiming to be Elite Guard obviously hadn’t been in their ranks for vorns, and that wasn’t considering the fact those could be stolen sigils. 

“You’re Soundwave, yes?” The older mech asked, not waiting for an answer. “I’m going to have to see your sparkling.”

Soundwave didn’t answer, he just straightened his back struts and searched through his stored files. If he was right, then he didn't have to show this mech anything, and he was sure he was right. This mech wasn't Elite Guard. He was just trying to threaten him, assuming he didn't know the difference between new and old sigils. 

The older mech bristled at his silence. “I don’t want to have to use force.”

Shockwave’s single optic hesitantly passed from Soundwave to the mech, watching the standoff. “For what reason do you need to see the sparkling this instant,” he filled the silence. 

“To confirm a suspicion,” the mech frowned at Shockwave.

“What suspicion?”

“Cross-caste creation,” the mech spat the words like bad energon. 

Shockwave’s antennae twitched. “Soundwave informed me that he does not know who the sire of his sparkling is... To determine whether or not cross-caste creation occurred, we would need that information...”

The mech scoffed. “Yeah, the surveillance drone doesn’t know who sparked him up. I don’t subscribe to that at all.” He narrowed his optics. “He’s hiding something.”

Shockwave glanced at Soundwave again, giving him a chance to answer, before he continued his defense. “The sparkling is still small. It would be illogical to introduce it to others while it adjusts.” 

“I’m not leaving until you two drones show it to me,” the mech snapped, optics flickering back to Soundwave just in time to see the image of the current Elite Guard sigil he projected on his visor. 

The mech’s face lit up in recognition only to twist into fury. “That doesn’t mean anything! I can still call up the Elite Guard and report you despite the fact I’m no longer one of them!” The mech took a threatening step closer. 

Before he could activate his data cables, pedesteps behind the older mech caught Soundwave’s attention. “Hate to break it to you, but the Elite Guard hates false reports just as much as they hate cross-caste whatever.”

The older mech spun around to face the newcomer, a black and silver racer. “Mind your own business to matters that don’t concern you!”

The racer snorted. “Concern? If anyone should be concerned it’s you. You’re the one assaulting a mech with carrier protocols.” 

The mech turned back around to face him, narrowed optics. “Assaulting?”

The racer shrugged. “That’s what the law says. Verbally attacking and threatening a mech with temporary carrier protocols is clearly under assault. You can do time for that.”

Wide-eyed panic passed over the mech’s faceplates briefly before he blinked it away, replacing it with a twisted scowl. 

“And did I hear ‘Elite Guard?’” The black and silver racer continued with a devilish smirk. “Impersonating an Elite Guard is punishable by up to five vorns and 10,000 in fines... But I’m assuming you already know that since you say you’re an Elite Guard.” 

“I-I don—,” the mech stuttered before he gathered himself. “I’m going to need your designation, son.”

“Barricade,” the racer answered nonchalantly. “I’m just a concerned neighbor.”

The mech straightened his back struts. “Well, Barricade. Don’t be surprised when you get a knock on your door next cycle and asked to step into a transport.”

Barricade just snorted again. “Alright, is that it?”

The mech's scowl deepened but he didn't continue his empty threats. He seemed to recognize that he was outnumbered, and if he were to stay, he'd probably attract the unwanted attention of half the building. So with a final glare at all three of them, he turned to exit down the hallway. When he was out of audial range, Barricade turned to the both of them, taking a moment to look up and down Soundwave’s frame before he began. 

"Hey, it’s been a while. You remember me, right?” Barricade shifted his weight to one ped. 

Soundwave nodded. He’d seen him many times around the Pits of Kaon. Barricade wasn’t a gladiator. His racer frame type was too fragile for that. But Barricade had been close to Megatron, a part of his entourage even. He’d helped manage Megatron’s fighting schedule and had always been a presence. 

“Everyone back at the Pits thought you’d been offlined, that or dragged off to some second-rate Institute,” Barricade continued with a snort. “Never would’ve guessed you’d been sparked and living with the top gladiator. What’s the story behind that anyway?”

Soundwave didn’t answer. He’d probably be here for cycles if he were to explain... If. There was no chance of him telling Barricade about what was going on. 

“Hey, Shockwave,” Barricade filled the silence by greeting the scientist. “Are you still giving the Enforcers a run for their credits?”

As if specifically cued, the scientist began to answer in detail. “Three enforcer raids, all coming up empty in my lab. I’ve been developing a prototype teleportation system to safeguard my different projects and equipment. It is still in early testing stages, but soon enough I will be in a position to test the ground bridge’s effects on Cybertronian life.” 

Barricade nodded, unable to hide the slight shudder in his plating at Shockwave’s reference to live test subjects. He looked back at Soundwave, “so, do you mind if I come in and sit down?” He asked. 

Soundwave hesitated. This wasn’t his apartment and Megatron hadn’t given him permission to allow other mechs inside. He’d only told him to keep mechs out. 

“Alright, I get it, I don’t have to come in if you’re not comfortable, but...” Barricade turned to look down each side of the hallway before lowering his voice. “Can I at least see the sparkling? Just see him? I’ve been dying to.” 

Soundwave narrowed his optics beneath his visor. 

Barricade looked down the hallway again, scanning for other mechs. "It's nice to see a sparkling every once in a while. The bots coming out of the factories are already in adult frames. It’s too easy to forget sparklings exist," he shrugged. “I’ve never really seen one...”

From what Soundwave could gather from Barricade’s EM field and processor, the racer was speaking truthfully. He could even see deeper memory files pushing up of Barricade emerging from a factory himself, already in his adult frame, and given a datapad with his job description on it. And just seeing the way Barricade looked at him, he was obviously nervous to be asking. Maybe he could let Barricade see him, but how could he know he could trust him? A few cycles ago he was the only mech on the surface of Cybertron that knew of his sparkling’s existence. 

Against Soundwave’s chest plates, his sparkling shifted, releasing a tiny coo.

Barricade’s optics focused on the transformed shape of the sparkling on Soundwave’s chest. His optics brightened in realization. “Is that the sparkling?”

Soundwave hesitated, unsure of if he should answer, but he still nodded in affirmation. 

Barricade’s optics returned to the sparkling, softening as he watched him. “Pit, it’s tinier than I thought it’d be...” Then his expression darkened. “And it’s a beastformer...”

“The sire remains unknown.”

Barricade lifted a servo. “I wasn’t saying you knew, I’m just saying he’s tiny. Really tiny...” his gaze shifted from the sparkling to Soundwave. “It’s definitely yours though, no doubt about that. But um..." He looked away for a moment. “There have been rumors, you know. Rumors that you were sparked by a mini-con.”

Soundwave tensed. 

“That is against the law—if you did, which I’m not saying you did, I’m just letting you know,” Barricade’s voice lowered further. “Who was it?” 

Soundwave refused to answer and Barricade just nodded and gave him a sympathetic look. "Well, if you really don't know, then you're going to have to get your story straight. I'm not the only mech who wants to see the sector’s newest addition...” He hesitated, turning sideways to start heading away. “Just keep it in mind, okay? I wouldn’t report you, but I know mechs who would.” With that, and an extra pulse of gentle fondness, the racer left down the hall where he'd originally been heading. 

Soundwave leaned out of the door to watch Barricade leave. When the mech was halfway down the hallway, he stepped back to shut the door, then looked over his shoulder to Shockwave. The scientist was standing still, staring at him intensely as if he was still computing something. Soundwave turned his shoulders to face the scientist, giving him his full attention in preparation for what he had to say. 

"It seems logical that this attempted break-in happened because of Megatron's most recent speeches," the scientist finally said. "We must inform him when he arrives."

Soundwave paused, staring at Shockwave's single optic. "Speeches?"

Shockwave's antennae twitched. "Were you unaware?"

Silence was the only answer Soundwave gave. He always kept track of Megatron’s movements but he hadn't exactly left the apartment in the past stellar cycle. He had no way of knowing what Megatron had been doing when he left, but apparently the gladiator was giving speeches now? Speeches of what? Megatron would sometimes speak to the crowd before or after matches but those hardly qualified as speeches. 

Maybe Shockwave was right, and the attempted break-in was partly caused by the gladiator's speeches... 

— —

Megatron had a smile on his faceplates when he returned. He approached with a small spring in his step, spreading his arms to wrap around Soundwave only to stop before he reached him. Instead, lifting his arms higher to gesture at something only to stop a second time when he felt Soundwave and Shockwave's fields. 

“What happened?” Megatron's light and airy EM field became heavy with concern as he looked down at Soundwave. His helm snapped over to Shockwave. “Tell me what happened. Now.”

The scientist’s posture stiffened. “A mech of unknown descent attempted to force his way into the apartment for forty-five kliks. Once the door was opened, the mech wanted to see Soundwave’s sparkling in which Soundwave refused.” 

“What?” Megatron’s voice was nearly a snarl. 

Shockwave continued to explain. “It seems most logical that this mech wanted—“

“No, no, I don’t care what’s ‘most logical’! I want to know who this mech is!”

Shockwave seemed to shrink. "I was unable to perform a scan of the mech's identity due to the abruptness of the attempted break-in." 

“Who threatened you!” Soundwave nearly flinched when Megatron raised his demanding voice to him. 

He stared up at Megatron, unsure how to answer. He hadn't thought of scanning for the mech's identity. In hindsight, maybe he should've. This mech had threatened them, but he'd been interrupted. Barricade had called his bluff and scared him away. 

"I'm sorry, I just..." Megatron lowered his raised voice, seeming to realize he was aiming his anger at the wrong mech. "I just can't believe this happened. I can't believe a mech could be so cowardly to strike while I'm gone." 

Soundwave allowed his frame to relax when Megatron's voice softened only to stiffen once more when he remembered his carrier protocols had been rewritten. Megatron was classified as his sparkling's sire, and it hadn't yet adjusted now that the stressful situation had de-escalated. That's why he felt so comfortable around the gladiator. This was all artificial. He couldn't allow himself to relax until he'd rewritten his protocols. Although... This did feel right in a strange sort of way. A part of him didn't want to change the classification back, but he knew that was probably just an artificial feeling too. Megatron wasn't his sparkling's sire, even though he wished he was. 

"I'll see if I can get the security footage so we can catch this mech," Megatron said while Soundwave was already thinking of how he could get the footage himself. He groaned, "What a horrible way to end a good cycle."

Soundwave tilted his helm at Megatron, silently questioning him.

Megatron continued, his mood noticeably brightening. “I met someone in the Pits today. Orion Pax, a data clerk from Iacon,” he laughed. “He looked so out of place in the Pits, you should’ve seen him.”

Soundwave couldn't help but feel suspicious. A data clerk from Iacon? What would bring a mech like that to Kaon? Surely nothing innocent. There had to be a reason for him to make the trip. He had to have been sent by someone. 

Shockwave voiced Soundwave’s concerns as if he himself was a mindreader. “Mechs of Iaconian descent are few and far between in the gladiatorial ring’s attendance. It’s logical this mech is here on an assignment.”

Megatron chuckled. “Oh, I feared the same at first, but he’s different. He’s not blind to the troubles faced by mechs of lower class. He even spoke of a desire for change for Cybertron’s society.”

Megatron took a step closer to Soundwave, a gentle smile on his faceplates. “Our world is changing,” he wrapped an arm around his shoulders to pull him closer, the comforting heat of his frame warming him. He then reached his other servo out to grab Shockwave’s shoulder.

”If he really is different, then neither of us will have to worry anymore.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quickly, I'd like to announce that this work officially has a direction! My sister (who is definitely not my beta-reader) came over last weekend, and instead of watching Netflix like we usually do, we spend around 2 hours brainstorming for this fic, and it's great.
> 
> The next chapter is around halfway done, so I'm hoping to get it out as soon as possible!


	6. Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soundwave and Megatron get out of the apartment.

For the next few cycles, there was still the occasional knock on the door of various mechs who wanted to see the sparkling. For this very reason, Megatron held off his comeback in the Pits to stay in the apartment and make sure no one directly threatened violence again. 

Keyword: directly. 

Soundwave could hear the less than kind thoughts and conversations regarding him all over Kaon. He didn't let it bother him though. It was hard to let anything bother him when he was inside the apartment of the toughest gladiator in Kaon. He didn’t even have to answer the door, Megatron did. Although, Soundwave would always listen in on the conversation in case of real danger.

Along with half the apartment building, Barricade continued to visit. He wasn’t allowed in. No one, with the exception of Shockwave, was allowed inside. But before Megatron would turn the racer away, Soundwave could hear them talking about the arenas or even just functioning in general. 

Something was different with Megatron... Ever since his meeting with Orion Pax, the gladiator seemed to be happier. It was strange in a weird way. It wasn't unnervingly strange. The glee in Megatron's field was actually contagious, but still, Soundwave had a feeling that his happiness was misdirected. Could Orion Pax be trusted? He was from Iacon. High-class Iacon. He didn’t understand anything about them...

"Orion was at the Pits again. I should invite him over so you can meet him," Megatron’s big servos wrapped around his frame to hold him closer. 

They were lying in berth together, slowly drifting off into recharge. It felt... no less uncomfortable than it had been previously. He always uncomfortably waited for Megatron to do something to him. Soundwave almost wished he would. Megatron never touched him as he did before. Did the gladiator not want him in that way? Did he not want him in any way? Interfacing had been Soundwave's only method to keep himself safe while carrying, but now Megatron refused to initiate it. If not interfacing, then what was keeping him here?

During the next few cycles, Soundwave tried to find exactly what that was. He'd awake before Megatron to fix him energon while he took care of his sparkling. That way, he could give Megatron energon in berth and have his sparkling quieted down. In addition, Soundwave would manually organize the gladiator's inbox when he was gone, and if he had time, he would clean up the apartment and wipe up all the ped-stains off the floor before he had to feed his sparkling again. 

Unfortunately, it was getting harder and harder to keep up the apartment while Megatron was gone because the gladiator made sure that he and the sparkling were never alone. A certain scientist was tasked to stay with him, and he took his simple task as a complex, multi-step laboratory experiment, making sure that Soundwave remained off his pedes. Absolutely everything was a calculated experiment for Shockwave and Soundwave was aware that he recorded his reactions. Worst of all, Shockwave, would often bring gifts for the sparkling. Soundwave suspected that most of these gifts weren't actually meant to bring comfort and were somehow related to an experiment. Even if they were for comfort, the unwanted gifts were slowly forming a pile in the back of Megatron's closet. In an ironic way, the gifts actually did bring him comfort knowing that they were out of sight...

The sparkling was starting to get much stronger, (no thanks to Shockwave’s gifts). He was now climbing all over his frame. His favorite place to hold onto was still his chest plates, but when he wasn't clinging to them, he was holding on tightly to his shoulders, squawking, and flaring his wings. Soundwave contemplated putting the sparkling on the floor to crawl around but he wasn't comfortable with that idea. He liked having an optic on his sparkling. His own optics, not the camera and feedback link Shockwave had asked to install. 

The sparkling already had enough natural technology developing on his frame. Integrated defensive weapons were beginning to develop and although they were too small to generate enough power to fire a blast capable of damaging even the brittlest of metals, the tiny beastformer had managed to fire a laser at Megatron, catching the gladiator off guard. Although, despite the sparkling’s growth, he remained undesignated for nearly three decacycles. Soundwave hadn't intended to leave him undesignated for so long, but he'd never gotten around to thinking about designations. He wasn't even sure if the fact he was a creator now had fully hit him yet. 

“Laserbeak still seems to prefer you over me,” Megatron spoke absently as he tried to offer a cube to the struggling sparkling in his arms.

Soundwave paused where he stood in the kitchen, full energon cube in servo. “You designated him.”

The gladiator looked up, realizing his slip. “No. I didn’t. I’ve just been calling him that recently,” he said, an apologetic look on his faceplates. “I thought it would be better to call him something other than ‘the sparkling.’ At least for now.”

Soundwave nodded, lifting his cube to take a small sip of energon. 

“You may still choose his designation,” Megatron continued, adjusting his hold on the sparkling. 

Soundwave’s optics flickered over to Megatron, watching how the tiny sparkling twisted out of his grip again to try and climb up to his shoulders. He looked away. “Chosen designation: Laserbeak." 

“You don’t have to designate him what I’ve been calling him,” Soundwave's answer didn’t satisfy the gladiator. “It’s customary in the district I’m from for the carriers to designate the sparklings. I’d actually prefer it if you designate him.”

Soundwave looked at him, breaking his usual tone to get his point across to Megatron. “I like ‘Laserbeak’ and I want to continue to call him that.” He actually did like it. Laserbeak was a nice designation and definitely better than anything he could've come up with. 

“Alright,” Megatron nodded, a pleasant smile forming on his faceplates as he angled his optics down to the sparkling. “Laserbeak then.”

Laserbeak seemed to relax upon getting his new designation. He stopped struggling in Megatron's servos and accepted the cube. 

“It’s probably time to make it official,” Megatron spoke softly as he fed Laserbeak. “To bring him to Iacon’s Hall of Records and get him recorded."

Soundwave didn’t respond immediately. He'd always known he would have to go to the Hall of Records eventually, but now that the inevitable was here, he found the very thought less than acceptable. 

“The data clerks will ask questions...” 

“The clerks are required to ask questions. You are not required to answer all of them," Megatron responded, optics passing from Soundwave to the sparkling. "Laserbeak is yours, but legally, he doesn’t have to be."

Soundwave solemnly nodded. In a perfect world, he shouldn't have to hide the fact that the sparkling he helped create is part mini-con. He should be able to be proud of the fact he is a carrier instead of having to hide all links to his creation. 

He shouldn't have to risk deactivation if he was ever discovered... 

“It will work out...” he heard Megatron murmur.

The gladiator was closer. His powerful frame pulsed warmly against his own, but Soundwave turned away from him, nudging away the servos that reached for him. He knew what had to be done. He didn't need comfort.

He quickly changed the topic. “Flight to Iacon or transport?"

— —

The trip to the Hall of Records was taken by transport and should’ve only taken a breem. Yet they hadn’t even crossed the border when they were intercepted by an Iaconian patrol and searched. The enforcers didn’t specify what they were searching for, but it was obvious: weapons, boosters, illegal items. Pretty much anything to refuse them access. 

Nothing was found of course. Both he and Megatron are a part of the lower class and—by law—unable to have integrated weapons on their frames. They could still carry smaller weapons in their subspace, but neither of them did, which prompted the enforcers to lengthen their search. 

“What’s this right here?” The enforcer in front of Soundwave tapped his chest with a blunt digit. Soundwave was just able to control his servos before they clawed out at the enforcer to protect Laserbeak.

“That’s his sparkli—his symbiont,” Megatron took a step closer to Soundwave. “We are taking him to the Hall of Records. If you didn’t stop us, we would’ve been there already!”

The enforcer cocked his helm. “A symbiont? Do you have a license for it?”

Soundwave remained still as Megatron’s lip plates twisted into a snarl. “Why would we need a license for a living mech?”

The enforcer shrugged. “That’s the law. It’s the same in Kaon. All hosts need a license for their symbionts.”

Megatron continued to argue with the enforcers while Soundwave just remained silent. He didn’t have a license. He’d never had a license even when he’d served as a host for Rumble and Frenzy. Alterations were done to his frame by some underground medic. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now he was realizing that his host mods were illegal. If the enforcers were to search again, they’d see the spaces for two mini-cons to return to. He'd definitely be taken into custody. 

He took a step closer to Megatron, hoping that the large mech could hide his modified frame well enough. 

“Soundwave is not going to host him. We found him and are taking him to the Hall of Records. That’s it,” Megatron answered, using the story they’d crafted on the transport: Laserbeak being some abandoned sparkling they’d found on the streets.

A different enforcer glanced at both of them. “Huh. Wouldn’t expect a Kaonite to be a do-gooder...”

The first enforcer threw his partner a glare before turning back to him. “Alright, fine, but we’ll escort you to make sure both you and the kid get there.”

The other enforcer nodded. “Yeah. Safely.”

Soundwave glared at both of them through his visor. They were saying they wanted to make sure they arrived safely, but their processors spoke differently. The enforcers just didn’t want low-castes wandering around Iacon.

Regardless of the enforcers’ intentions, they got back into the transport and followed them to the Hall of Records. On the way, Megatron seemed to look at everything from the mechs walking down the streets to the huge, neon signs high above their helms. Soundwave, on the other servo, tried his best not to look at anything. Everything was new sensory input that he had yet to learn how to block. It was a relief to his aching processor when the Hall of Records was in sight and they could step out of the transport and into the structure. The thick walls helped to drown out the loud thoughts of the Iaconian mechs outside, and the quiet of Hall of Records was most welcome. 

Megatron was already stepping up to the front desk where an uninterested mech was waiting. “We are here to record a sparkling into the Hall of Records.”

The data clerk nodded, staring down at his datapad. “Do you have an appointment scheduled?”

“What?” Megatron demanded.

The clerk looked up at him. “Have you contacted a specific data clerk to help in recording your sparkling?” 

Megatron’s field flared in offense. “I know what it means! I wasn’t aware an appointment was necessary.”

“It is,” the clerk stared back down at the pad, done with them.

Megatron glanced at Soundwave, a look of frustration on his faceplates, then looked back to the clerk. “This place is empty. Can’t you or anybody else help us?”

The data clerk at the front desk released a long sigh before turning to call into the back rooms. “Orion Pax, would you assist these two Kaonites?”

Megatron’s field flared with recognition and his posture straightened. Soundwave found his own posture straightening as he awaited the data clerk. The Iaconian mech who had no business seeking out Megatron in the Pits...

“Of course,” a small red and blue mech exited the back room. “Please come right this—Megatronus?” The clerk’s optics brightened. “I was not expecting you to be here. W-why are you here?” 

Megatron’s field flared with excitement when he angled his optics down at Soundwave. But all of a sudden, he hesitated, glancing from Soundwave to Orion Pax. His excitement quickly faded to a quieted response. "A sparkling. We are here to get a sparkling recorded."

Orion smiled kindly. "Ah, I love to see newsparks. Please follow me right this way," the small mech began to lead them into the back rooms of the Hall of Records. 

These back hallways were obviously not designed for larger mechs. To walk side by side, he and Megatron would have to throw an arm around each other and walk in a half-embrace. So Soundwave just fell into step behind Megatron, allowing the gladiator to walk up front with Orion Pax. The two were already exchanging friendly banter, so Soundwave didn't mind. Back here he could also get scans on Orion to analyze him. He'd never seen the mech, although he was far from the first Iaconian he'd ever seen. Sometimes Iaconian mechs would visit the mines whether it be for inspection or some kind of field trip. All of them were the same. They all looked down on them. Why would Orion be any different?

"In here. This is where we record newsparks," Orion gestured to an open room with a couple of chairs and a bunch of scattered toys on the ground.

Soundwave followed Megatron into the room, and when he took a seat in one of the chairs across from the desk, Soundwave sat beside him. 

“This must be Soundwave,” the small bot said as he stepped around the desk. “I’ve heard a lot about you. O-only good things!" 

Soundwave felt a pulse of amusement in the gladiator's field before he turned to him. “Soundwave, you remember when I told you about Orion?” 

He nodded, unable to hide suspicion from pulsing in his field. Megatron seemed happy and comfortable around Orion, but he still didn't trust the data clerk. 

“It’s a pleasure,” Orion smiled again. “To who do I owe the pleasure?” 

As if to answer, Laserbeak shifted from where he was docked against Soundwave’s chest plates and squawked.

Orion’s optics widened. He tilted his chin up, “Is that the sparkling?” 

"He is," Megatron answered.

"He looks so lively," Orion's field pulsed affectionately. "Are you two the creators? Or just you, Soundwave?”

Soundwave felt Megatron's optics on him, prompting the red and blue data clerk to look at him, awaiting a response. Soundwave silently stared at Orion. He had made a plan for what to say. He and Megatron had both discussed it, but now that he was actually here, he couldn't. It felt as if the joints in his jaw hadn't been oiled. He just couldn't lie and say Laserbeak wasn't his, because he was. 

“He is not ours, but we have decided to take him here to get him recorded," Megatron answered for him. "We found him in the slums and have been looking after him."

Soundwave kept his optics forward to watch the data clerk, trying to ignore the fact that now, by law, Laserbeak would have no connections to him. 

Orion's optics returned to the datapad. “Alright. I’ll start a new spark-line. Unless you know any shared spark signatures?” The data clerk looked up again. 

Once again, Megatron's optics fell on Soundwave, but he only gave him a cursory glance before he continued to speak for him. “No. We do not know any relatives of the sparkling.”

Soundwave felt something squeeze his thigh. He glanced down to see the gladiator's servo gently tracing his seams. He ignored the servo and continued to sit rigidly, focusing all his attention on the data clerk. This had to be done. He understood that. He didn't need comfort. Did Megatron think he wasn't capable of this?

The comforting pulse of the gladiator's EM field set him off.

He abruptly stood. “Soundwave: will wait outside." 

Orion nodded, smile still on his faceplates. "We can continue without you." When Soundwave turned to leave, the data clerk called after him. "There are energon bars in the lobby! You are welcome to have one!"

Soundwave was already heading down the hallway and into the main room. 

"Is he alright," Soundwave heard Orion whisper.

"Don't worry about him," Megatron said. 

"I didn't mean to upset him..."

"You didn't. This is... hard for him.”

Soundwave entered the lobby and began towards the exit, trying to suppress the warring protocols within him. 

"Hey," the data clerk at the front desk called out to him. "This is a sacred structure, not a lounge!"

He was already out the exit and standing just before the street. He panned his helm to gaze down both ends of the street. There was hardly anyone out walking or driving, but he didn't dare let his defenses down. Both mental and physical. There were so many mechs in Iacon. He couldn't even imagine how overwhelming it would be to hear all of them. Iaconian mechs weren't like Kaonite mechs. When it came down to it, all Kaonites thought about survival and whether or not they could earn enough credits to keep themselves fueled. Iaconians probably all thought about buying new alt-mode scans, buying tickets to see the live performance of The Original Thirteen, and anything involving excess. He didn't want to hear any of it. 

"Everything alright?" Someone asked.

Soundwave didn't look. This mech didn't sound like Megatron and his peripheral sensors told him that this mech was Iaconian. 

"Ok..." The mech passed him and Soundwave caught a hint of the thoughts leaving the mech's processor. ~Fragging drone... Who the Pit put it out here?~

Soundwave turned his helm to focus on the mech, listening in. The mech's thoughts were all the same, droning on with presumptions about him in the way that only Iaconians could. He looked away, uninterested with the mech. He trained his sensors elsewhere. Beneath the overwhelming storm of input, a familiar presence pushed at the edges of his processor. So familiar. He’d never mistake this signature for anyone else...

Ravage...

Instinctively, he tried to open his comms to the cyber-cat only to realize that those comms didn’t exist anymore. He’d deleted the comm-link in anger a stellar cycle ago...

Soundwave lifted his helm to the streets, scanning for any signs of the cyber-cat. When no signs arose, he shifted his optics to the tops of the buildings, still finding no signs. Soundwave continued to focus on the presence. If the cyber-cat was out of his visual range, he could still find out where he was through his processor, except he was having trouble. Ravage had spent enough time with him to know how to outright block if not just make it harder for him to search, so he kept searching. 

Ravage must have known that he could detect him because his presence quickly began to fade. Soundwave stiffened, trying to find it again, but he couldn't. He took a step out into the streets, unconsciously trying to get closer to where the cyber-cat was. He quickened his pace. He knew it was futile. If Ravage was out of his telepathic range, it meant he was halfway across Cybertron. He wouldn't be able to find the cyber-cat at this rate.

Soundwave started to run through the streets, gritting against all the data input as he focused on finding Ravage. Laserbeak was crying in distress against his chest plates, spark pulsing quicker and quicker in time with his, but Soundwave could hardly hear him. He stopped feeling or hearing anything that wasn't flowing through his processor. He hadn’t even felt strong servos lift him off the ground, he was too caught up in finding Ravage. Even off the ground, his pedes circled as he attempted to pursue the cyber-cat.

“Soundwave?” Megatron shook him.

Soundwave didn't respond. He stopped being able to respond. He'd been so focused on finding Ravage, his friend, that upon his inability to find him, his whole frame began to shut down. He couldn't... He couldn't even feel anything...

“Who did this!? Tell me what happened,” Megatron slowly released Soundwave and he sunk to his knees. "Primus..."

“Is he alright?” From the angle he was at, he could see Orion Pax running towards them, his faceplates twisted in distress. 

"I don't know," Megatron lifted Soundwave's limp frame, supporting his helm. "He's not responding..."

Their voices faded, unable to be picked up by his audials, and he could feel his energon pressure decreasing. The decreased flow of energon began to force his other systems to shut down. His optics, his olfactory sensors, even the sensors on his outer frame. Only his processor remained, and the familiar presence. Soundwave focused in on it.

~Soundwave,~ the cyber-cat sounded. ~I’ll come find you. Back in Kaon. We’ll talk. You deserve an explanation.~

Then his presence was gone... and Soundwave’s systems began to return online.

“Should we call a medic?” Orion Pax shifted nervously on his pedes. “Ratchet would know what to do.”

With Orion’s suggestion, Soundwave stiffened in Megatron’s arms, twisting uncomfortably at the public contact.

“Soundwave!” Megatron’s servos tightened where they held him, then gently let him to his pedes. “What happened? You were practically in stasis!”

Soundwave quickly recalibrated his systems. “Hall of Records appointment: complete?” 

Megatron and Orion shared an uneasy look before answering. “Yes. It is...”

“Reasons to remain in Iacon: zero.”

“Are you sure?” Orion asked, still concerned. “All data clerks live in the Hall of Records, but I could see if there’s extra room for you two.”

Megatron looked Soundwave over, equally concerned. Soundwave felt the gladiator’s field attempt to reach out to his own, but he kept his own reeled in tightly.

Megatron looked back to Orion. “There is no need to arrange accommodations. We will be returning to Kaon.”

The data clerk nodded, “alright, but you’ll be sure to visit Iacon again? I’d like to have another chance to talk with you about something of equal importance as sparklings to Cybertron’s future.” His field pulsed with a mixture of affection and disappointment. 

Megatron dipped his helm. “Yes. We will have a chance to talk again.” A long pause. Megatron began to think about him, about Orion, and about the three of them back at Kaon. Soundwave could tell that the gladiator wanted to ask Orion if he would come back to Kaon with them, but something was preventing him from asking. When Soundwave dug deeper he found Laserbeak, he found the responsibility that Megatron felt for him and the need to protect him at any cost. The gladiator continued, "goodbye, for now, Orion."

"Goodbye, and goodbye, Soundwave," Orion waved to them both and began back for the Hall of Records. 

It was a weight off Soundwave's shoulders to see Orion disappear into the structure. He wasn't sure if it was his remaining carrier coding or not, but he liked it with just him and Megatron... He liked the safety and the warmth, and he really liked Megatron. What he did not like was the way Orion's field fluctuated with different ranges of affection around Megatron. It could just be an Iacon thing, but Soundwave still didn't like the friendliness. 

"Hey, are you alright?" Megatron caught his attention. "I feared you were..." 

Soundwave blocked Megatron's processor before he was barraged with images of himself fueled on fear. "Nothing happened. We need to get back to Kaon," he spoke quickly. 

They needed to go back to the apartment to be there when Ravage arrived.


	7. Take Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having been able to sense Ravage, Soundwave can't stop thinking about him and where he's been all this time.

Soundwave couldn’t feel it, but he could sense something on the berth with him. It was small and light enough to not disturb the berth as it crawled toward him to pull itself onto his chest plates. He onlined his optics and lifted his helm to find Laserbeak. The tiny beastformer was on his chassis, flapping his wings excitedly and nipping at the various wires hanging from his frame. 

He lifted a servo, carefully nudging the sparkling away. He'd connected himself to the various power lines running through the apartment. Originally, he utilized the connections to increase his telepathy range in the hopes of finding Ravage, but after cycles of following the cyber-cat’s signature, then losing it again, he just found the connections comforting. 

“Anything?” Another voice. Megatron’s voice. The gladiator was standing in the doorway, watching him. 

Soundwave looked up at him. He’d told Megatron all about Ravage and what the cyber-cat had said. There was no choice. Megatron already didn’t like him plugged in for more than a few breems. If he hadn’t known why he was plugging himself in for so long, he wouldn’t allow him to continue searching for Ravage.

Megatron frowned at his silence. “Why don’t you come into the main room?” 

“I want to continue searching,” he said as he nudged Laserbeak away from the wire he was eyeing.

“I think you should come to the main room.” With the flux of the gladiator’s field, Soundwave could tell it wasn't a request, so he complied. 

Once untangled from the many wires and bringing a fidgeting sparkling to his side, he followed Megatron and sat across from him on one of the couches. He didn’t bother rebooting any of his downed systems, he was just going to plug back in once he finished with whatever Megatron wanted. The gladiator only smiled at him before turning back to the screen and what looked like some news report. Laserbeak squawked, struggling in his servos, so he released him, letting him crawl along the couch. He watched the tiny sparkling a moment, all the while completely aware that kliks were ticking by that he could be using to find Ravage.

“Why do you need me in here?”

“You’ve been plugged in all day,” Megatron responded. 

“I’m trying to find Ravage.”

“I know you are but I’d prefer you to take a break,” Megatron said before changing the subject. His optics flickered over to Laserbeak. “He was trying to fly this morning.”

Soundwave nodded, glancing at Laserbeak. The tiny sparkling had crawled to the other armrest and was using his wings to balance himself. He twisted his helm around to meet Soundwave’s optics in a way that seemed to yell, ‘watch me! Watch me!’

“Soon he’s going to need flight lessons to help his systems adjust,” Megatron continued. “We can’t just hire a stranger, so we’ll have to take him out when it’s dark.”

“You are a tankformer.” Soundwave stated monotonously. “You are not qualified to teach Laserbeak to fly.”

Megatron met his optics, looking a little hurt, or maybe just confused, at his tone. “Actually...” He wavered before deciding that Soundwave should know the details. “I got a new scan for a flightframe alternate mode.”

“Flightframe?” Soundwave asked, voice lowered. The only legal alternate mode scans were cosmetic. Any switch in frame type was strictly illegal.

“I know, I know. Dangerous,” Megatron continued. “But one thing’s for certain: I’m never going back to the mines.”

“Who gave you the scan?” Soundwave asked, picking at the gladiator’s processor to conjure up images of a certain single-optic scientist and an illegal medical procedure. And flying. He’d had this alternate mode for awhile.

“Why would you do this?” Soundwave asked. He hadn’t intended for his question to come out accusingly, but it did. He shook his helm. Maybe he did need to reboot his systems. Starting with his emotional sensors.

“I no longer want to function under a system that beats us all to dust and does the same to the next generation,” Megatron answered, field pulsing with built-up anger. “I don’t want to be less than! I want my words to be just as credible, if not more credible, than any bot of higher caste!”

Laserbeak squeaked and cried for Soundwave. 

Megatron sighed, lowering his voice to coo. “I’m sorry, Laserbeak. I forget I need to keep my voice down when I’m indoors and not speaking to the masses...”

Soundwave reached to dig Laserbeak out from where he’d burrowed and brought him back into his lap. With his slender digits, he wiped the fluid starting to stream from the tiny beastformer’s optics, and rubbed the spot on his back that calmed his field. Laserbeak instantly relaxed, as if he hadn’t been upset at all, and with his sparkling calmed, he turned back to Megatron. The gladiator was looking at him, his processor buzzing the way questions usually did.

He tilted his helm, prompting the gladiator to ask. “What is your alternate mode?”

Soundwave froze, his intake halfway open in an abandoned answer. He closed his intake, quickly looking away before Megatron could catch the flash of resurgent anguish.

“Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you transform,” Megatron’s optics narrowed in thought. “So what is your alternate mode?”

Soundwave cleared his intake, not meeting Megatron’s optics. “I don’t have one.”

Megatron’s field flared with surprise and a hint of disgust upon hearing this. “What, why not?!” 

He was barraged by a thousand unasked questions about his lack of an alternate mode and if he’d never had one. “No. I used to have one. A long time ago”

“What happened to you,” Megatron lowered his voice.

Soundwave didn’t answer at first. He hadn’t been expecting the gladiator to ask him what his alt mode was, and the memory cells pushing back into the forefront of his processor were oppressing. He’d long since forgotten about (read: suppressed) everything since meeting Megatron, and even since meeting the mini-cons. Transforming, at the time, had never seemed too important. It was easy to forget everything, especially surrounded by mini-cons with stationary alt modes.

“Tell me what happened,” Megatron repeated. Laserbeak had climbed over to him now and was hitting his wings against the gladiator’s chest plate, a sign that he wanted to dock, but the gladiator’s focus was all on Soundwave.

Soundwave kept his optics on Laserbeak, still refusing to meet Megatron’s optics. “You know I was used in the mines as a living, processing surveillance drone,” he started.

“Yes...” Megatron answered hesitantly.

“The overseers of the mines wanted to see what else they could use me for, so they uploaded shifter protocols into my T-cog.”

“Shifter protocols? You mean protocols from those bots that can transform to perfectly mimic any shape matching their mass?” Megatron asked.

He nodded. “If the operation had been successful, I’d be whoever the overseers wanted me to be. I’d be able to spy on the anyone without being recognized...” He paused. “But the operation was a failure. My T-cog was paralyzed.”

At that, Megatron outwardly cringed, field rippling with disgust. “W-why would they even attempt to do that?”

He finally met the gladiator’s optics, finding them round with sympathy. “My T-cog is functional now. It took several operations to remove the leftover shifter CNA, then several more to attempt to restore my T-cog, until eventually, they replaced it with a new one.”

“So you can transform?” Megatron asked, sounding a little relieved.

He nodded. “I can, but I’ve never found the necessity, so I never got a new alt mode scan,” he paused again, frowning. “With my old, paralyzed T-cog, I could still transform, but only into less complex objects, never vehicles.”

“That’s horrible...” Megatron still looked disgusted, but Soundwave knew the disgust wasn’t aimed at him, it was aimed at the overseers of the mine and their blatant disregard for his functioning. “I can’t even imagine what it would be like to lack the ability to truly transform...”

“My position never required it,” Soundwave pointed out. “I’m in the utility subcaste, and I can serve without transformation.” He paused. “You know I’m an outlier?” The question came out easily. He trusted Megatron not to turn him in.

“Y-Yeah, of course I do,” the gladiator’s little lie seeped through his field. “You can tell me again though.”

Soundwave smiled, looking back at Laserbeak trying to dock on the gladiator’s broad chest plates. “I’m sensitive to the electrical currents in processors. I can see thoughts.” 

“Oh,” Megatron said, meanwhile his processor was booming with worries and concerns about what Soundwave had overheard. 

“My kind is labeled as both a nuisance and a danger, so any telepath, regardless of caste, is deactivated,” he continued. “I would’ve been deactivated too if the overseers hadn’t recognized my behavior before the archivists at the Hall of Records and realized I could be of some use. So I can control it. I’m not always in anyone’s processor. I'm not always in yours."

Megatron looked away, his optics focusing on Laserbeak who’d settled with an angry huff in his lap. “Primus, Soundwave... Why haven’t you told me any of this?”

“It never seemed important.”

“You don’t transform and you’re telepathic...” Megatron struggled for a moment to find his words. “I’ve never thought anything to make you uncomfortable, have I?”

“I’m very comfortable around you,” he dodged around the real question, which in itself, wasn’t fair. Cybertronians think a lot of things, and not all of their thoughts are of what they truly believe.

Megatron nodded, still looking nervous. “I’m glad you’re comfortable, but... Tell me if I ever start thinking rudely or crudely, won’t you?” 

Soundwave nodded. 

“Thanks,” he sighed, glancing back at the news screen for a moment. “I want you to... Well, you probably already know my intentions, but I want you to know that I want what’s best for you and I. That’s all I want.”

Soundwave nodded again.

“Cybertron is falling apart,” Megatron continued, returning his optics to the news screen. “Some mech has to repair it, before it’s too late, before everything gets worse...”

The gladiator’s processor shone when he thought of the problems plaguing Cybertron and their root cause: the Council, the Primes, all of it. Megatron wanted change and reform at any cost. He wanted to make Cybertron a place where all mechs could function peacefully without constant fear of their functioning, and he believed that the only mech who could accomplish that peace was himself. 

“You have been giving speeches,” Soundwave stated.

Megatron dipped his helm. “I have. It’s... Freeing, in a sense, to be able to talk to mechs who all agree that Cybertron needs reform and are not afraid to show it.”

Soundwave lowered his gaze in thought. Politics were a heated topic, anyone with a processor knew that. And Soundwave couldn’t help but admit that he was a little... uneasy? Afraid?... of the fact that Megatron was having these speeches seemingly alone. It would be too easy for some high-grade-guzzler to shoot Megatron’s helm off to try and make a point... Or an Iaconian spy to listen to the gladiator’s every word to collect incriminating evidence... Like a certain data clerk...

“You should take me with you,” he said quietly. 

Megatron stared at him for a moment, concern dimming his optics. “I don’t know about that...”

“I can see what you cannot. Without me, you are always at risk.”

He’d be able to hear an assassin from across Cybertron, he’d be able to scan the surrounding mechs’ subspaces for weapons, and he’d be able to deny the inevitable assassination that was just itching to happen. Really, he should've been going with Megatron from the beginning, from when he was still carrying. 

“What about Laserbeak?” Megatron asked. “I thought we agreed you would stay with him? We can’t leave him here alone.”

“Laserbeak would remain with me.” If Soundwave could protect Megatron, he could easily protect a sparkling docked to his chest plates. 

“Well...” the gladiator’s sigh turned into a laugh. “You’re right...." He thought for a moment, faceplates twisting with deep thought. "Yes, I think I will let you come with me. But if you’re going to come along, you will need an alt mode. Otherwise, _you_ are at risk.”__

_ _Soundwave wanted to argue about being at risk of anything, but he held his glossa and just nodded. _ _

_ _“We could go to one of the shops and find one that sells alt scans in central Kaon,” Megatron suggested. _ _

_ _“When?” He asked._ _

_ _Something crossed over the gladiator’s processor. An idea. He quickly shoved the idea to the side, out of surface-level reach. “I think we should wait. What about a decacycle?”_ _

_ _“That’s acceptable.” As long as Megatron didn’t speak to the masses until then._ _

_ _“Alright,” the gladiator had the strangest smile on his faceplates. “Remember: Don’t go searching without me. I want this to be special.”_ _

_ _

_ _— —_ _

_ _

_ _Less than a cycle later, Megatron returned with the lightest, happiest field and entered the guest berthroom where Soundwave had set himself up once again. _ _

_ _“I’ve got something for you."_ _

_ _Soundwave got caught in the wires attached to his frame as he turned to face the gladiator. When he'd righted himself, his optics caught on the small, almost datapad-shaped object in the gladiator's servos. The object was clear but crisscrossed with a bright lattice of data. An alt mode scan. By the dark color alone, he could tell it was for the low caste, but not Megatron's subcaste, his. _ _

_ _“I thought we were going to go together,” Soundwave questioned._ _

_ _Megatron smirked. “I said that so you wouldn’t go searching and ruin my gift to you. Here.” He set it into his servos. _ _

_ _Soundwave angled his optics downward to read the data patterns. It was the schematic of a high-end flightframe, one he'd never seen before. It looked expensive... _ _

_ _“It was the only flightframe available for your subcaste... Do you like it?”_ _

_ _“How many credits was this?” Soundwave asked, searching through his stored catalogs in an attempt to find the schematic. _ _

_ _“It doesn’t matter. What matters is whether you like it or not,” Megatron continued. “Do you?”_ _

_ _“It’s... nice... And highly functional...” The flightframe had dozens of the most advanced surveillance systems on Cybertron. It had to be new. He'd never seen anyone with this alternate mode... Although anyone who had this alt mode was probably good at not being detected. _ _

_ _Megatron shifted on his pedes. "I wasn’t sure if you’d want a groundframe or flightframe. Most of the schematics for your caste are groundframes, but I saw this and thought of you. And the sparkling."_ _

_ _Soundwave turned the alt mode scan over to read the required programs to successfully enable a scanned alternate mode. _ _

_ _“I don’t have the programs for flight,” he turned it over again. _ _

_ _“The schematic comes with built-in programs. You wouldn’t need to install anything," Megatron said. _ _

_ _“I’ve never flown.”_ _

_ _“I could teach you,” he offered with a pulse of excitement in his field. "We could go right now.”_ _

_ _“Who would watch Laserbeak?” He heard a squawk from the main room as the sparkling recognized his own designation. _ _

_ _Megatron smiled in Laserbeak's direction. "I could ask Barricade if he'd come over to watch him."_ _

_ _Soundwave narrowed his optics. "Barricade?"_ _

_ _"Yes." The gladiator shrugged, "He's the only one besides Shockwave who knows the truth about Laserbeak.” When Soundwave’s field still radiated with uncertainty, Megatron leaned closer. "Barricade won't do anything. He's a part of the neighborhood watch and takes his job very seriously... And he knows what will happen if I come back to find the slightest scuff on our bitlet." _ _

_ _Soundwave sighed, releasing his vents in a way he hoped would release a bit of his stress too. He nodded, “call him. I’ll scan this.”_ _

_ _“Then it’s a date,” Megatron smiled._ _

_ _“It is.”_ _

_ _

_ _— —_ _

_ _

_ _He didn’t feel very stable. _ _

_ _Much of his frame had altered itself in response to the coding on the alt mode scan. Before, he’d had the muscle of a gladiator, however small. Now, he was skinny and streamlined. Any extra plating from his arms had moved to his chassis, leaving him feeling top-heavy. His new, elongated wing arms felt too stiff. They were so thin, and although they stretched down past his knees, he didn’t feel as if he could catch himself with them._ _

_ _In defense of his new frame, he was standing on the roof of their apartment building. This high above the ground, it was freezing. His frame had to shiver to generate any heat due to the heat shields on his new alt mode. The shields insulated his engines, providing both engine efficiency and elimination from thermal radar. In consequence, the heat couldn’t reach his other systems to warm him up. So he was thousands of meters in the air on a new, unstable alt mode, shivering. _ _

_ _Luckily, he wasn’t on the roof alone. Megatron was with him, giving him a detailed overview of basic aviation. They didn’t have the luxury of the ground. Too many enforcers. Too easy to get spotted. So Soundwave had to be ready to fly the moment he jumped from the roof. Or prepare to plummet._ _

_ _“Activate your engines before you finish the transformation sequence.”_ _

_ _Soundwave’s optics remained on the edge of the rooftop. _ _

_ _“Make sure your wings are level. You can lose control if they aren't.”_ _

_ _Soundwave nodded, tipping his helm to look at the gladiator. “I’m ready.” He waited for the him. They agreed that Megatron would go first so he’d be able to support him in the air._ _

_ _“Alright.” The gladiator’s field pulsed with nervousness but he still nodded his helm. “Just comm me if you change your mind.” _ _

_ _Without another word, the gladiator leaped from the rooftop, transforming the moment his pedes left the ground. His plating rippled as it locked into his alternate mode and he took off higher into the sky. He circled before diving down to bank around the back of the building, bringing himself to hover slightly below where Soundwave stood. _ _

_ _::Transform when ready.:: Megatron commed him. _ _

_ _He commed back a quick affirmative and stepped towards the edge of the building. His optics focused on the pitch street below him and the silhouettes of traveling alt modes. No lights shone, save for the stars and the blue sheen of dual moonlight that would’ve been so beautiful if the awful plumes of smog leaving the mines didn’t swallow it._ _

_ _He leaped. Straight of the roof. It was easy to let the sensation of free fall take over him, but he couldn’t savor his weightlessness for long. Before his pedes had fully left the roof, he was already transforming and activating his engines. It was strange to activate alt mode systems outside of an alt mode, but he followed Megatron’s advice as his frame folded into a new shape. His final piece of streamlined plating hadn’t completely locked into place when he began to rapidly accelerate forward. At first, he panicked, slowing his systems, only to remember what Megatron had told him about stalling mid-air. He quickly rectified that, adding more power to his engines. _ _

_ _It felt like he was gliding smoothly over a frozen coolant lake, even though there was nothing beneath him. His long wings cut through the thin atmosphere, redirecting the air to keep him level._ _

_ _::You’re doing excellent!:: _ _

_ _Soundwave could sense the gladiator flying directly below him. The gladiator was speeding up to take the lead. He followed close behind him, redirected more power to his engines. _ _

_ _As they flew straight, he started to scan the ground beneath them. Everything looked so lifeless this high up. The dark of night covered Kaon’s streets like a sheet, hiding the night activity he knew went on. Murders, kidnappings... Nothing could be seen, however, in the distance, Iacon shimmered like refined energon. Over there, in Iacon, everything was seen... That’s where Megatron needed to be if he wanted change._ _

_ _Megatron had support in Kaon, but in Iacon, he’d be able to make an official case to the Council... He’d need help for that. Soundwave could help all he wanted, but Iacon wouldn’t listen to some former surveillance drone. They’d probably listen to a data clerk, someone with enough book smarts to impress the Council... Soundwave didn’t want to think about Orion Pax, that awful, kind, terrible, polite mech that smiled at Megatron in the way Soundwave only wished he could. He didn’t want to think about how Megatron and Orion spoke of Cybertron’s future when Megatron never brought it up with him. Most of all, he didn’t want to think about how hard he was falling for the gladiator and how quickly he was going to lose him._ _

_ _::Did I make the right choice?:: Megatron commed._ _

_ _::W-What?::_ _

_ _::Your alternate mode,:: he clarified. ::Did I make the right choice?::_ _

_ _::Yes,:: he answered, hiding the flare of embarrassment in his field._ _

_ _::That’s good,:: He could hear the glee in Megatron’s vocalizer. ::I’ve always wanted to experience something like this, I mean look at us: two former grounders soaring in flightframes high above Functionist Cybertron!::_ _

_ _The pure happiness in the gladiator’s field was soothing warmth to his freezing sensors. He couldn’t help the pulse of happiness in his own field. Energon was pumping through his frame like it had never before. He was much more alert, much more in the moment. He just felt happy. He wished he always felt like this._ _

_ _::Do you realize this is something that has never happened before,:: Megatron asked. ::This is something that could get our processors removed and stored in a vault!::_ _

_ _Soundwave laughed. The gladiator wasn’t over-exaggerating with the violent response any high-ranking Cybertronian would have to finding out they’d switched frame types. That alone wasn’t funny. The fact that the thought of deactivation didn’t discourage the gladiator was._ _

_ _Megatron paused. ::You laughed...::_ _

_ _::I laugh,:: he said. _ _

_ _::Never at anything I’ve ever said,:: his field pulsed warmly. _ _

_ _They flew side by side for what seemed like joors before Megatron decided they turn around and practice landing on the roof of their apartment building. Each time, Megatron would transform first and spin around to catch Soundwave before he crashed. Usually, this resulted in Soundwave’s momentum sending them both spiraling to the ground to slam hard into the rooftop. Megatron’s broad frame would shield him from most of the impact, but eventually, all the practice began to wear him out. He hadn’t told the gladiator this, but the gladiator seemed to sense it nonetheless._ _

_ _They walked side by side up the hall of their apartment building. It was late, so he did his best to walk quietly. Megatron on the other servo, was having a hard time keeping his voice down. He was still wired and filled with excitement from their forbidden form of flying. The only thing that silenced him was a strained voice coming from the direction they were walking. They both stopped dead in their tracks, listening again for the voice._ _

_ _“Hey, hey,” the voice screamed. “Get off of me! I told you he’s gone!”_ _

_ _Megatron narrowed his optics. “Is that...?”_ _

_ _“Barricade,” Soundwave finished for him, watching the gladiator’s faceplates twist into that of horror. Not for Barricade, but for the sparkling he was watching._ _

_ _They both rushed forward down the hallway. The front door was open. Several voices thick with Lunar accents sounded from inside._ _

_ _“Nope, not good enough!”_ _

_ _“You’re gonna tell us exactly where he is!” _ _

_ _Those voices. They sounded like... No. They couldn’t be..._ _

_ _“I’m telling you he’s gone!” Barricade’s strained voice sounded again._ _

_ _“Oh, enough of your scrap! _ _

_ _“Rip his fraggin’ vocalizer out!”_ _

_ _"What?! Wait, don't—!” _ _

_ _A scream followed by garbled silence._ _

_ _“We gave ya the chance ta tell us where he is!"_ _

_ _"Now get ready to crumble, before—“_ _

_ _When they reached the door, all the loud activity on the inside of the apartment froze. His optics flickered down to see Barricade on the floor. The racer’s servos and pedes were tied with what looked like their berth sheets. There was something on his back. No, not something, someone. Rumble. The mini-con was standing on Barricade, pressing a piledriver down on his helm. Beside them, Frenzy had Barricade’s detached vocalizer in his servos, and on the couch behind them, Ravage was trying to calm a frightened Laserbeak. _ _

_ _All three pairs of optics focused on Soundwave, immediately brightening with recognition._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like a tiny bit of this work has already been a bit retconned. Especially chapter 1, it feels completely disconnected... 
> 
> I might be slightly rewriting ch 1 just so it fits in a bit more. I'm not sure yet. It's not too much of a disconnect that it bothers me, but I’m going to have to think on it.


	8. The Gang's All Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mini-cons reunite with Soundwave! Meanwhile, Megatron has a lot of time to think about what Soundwave means to him and if these new mechs threaten him.

Ravage was the first to move. “_Soundwave!_” __

_ __ _

_ __ _

The cyber-cat dipped his helm to grab Laserbeak who squawked and flailed as the jaws wrapped around his tiny chassis. Laserbeak’s cries would’ve elicited a response from Soundwave’s carrier coding, but he could feel through the bond that Laserbeak wasn’t in pain. 

Ravage leapt off the couch with the tiny beastformer hanging from his jaws. The brothers were still frozen where they stood, unmoving as Ravage charged past them, a rumbling purr in his throat. Beside him, Megatron growled and wrapped an arm around his chassis, but the large mech was unable to pull him protectively against his frame. He’d went limp, slipping from Megatron’s servos to fall to his knee struts, nearly landing on the cyber-cat.

Ravage put Laserbeak beside them before he jumped onto his lap, stretching his spinal struts to rub his helm against the edge of his visor.

"Ravage..." He wanted to ask him how he was here but he couldn’t get his vocalizer to work. He was too caught up in feeling his field. Feeling the brothers’ fields...

“I’m here,” the cyber-cat moved to nuzzle the plating on his side, his deep purrs sending vibrations through his armor. He leaned in to whisper, "I sent you my comm-link. We can talk more privately."

Soundwave nodded, searching through his inbox for the sent link and quickly implementing it. ::Query: location?::

::The brothers: Luna 2. I have remained on Cybertron,:: The cyber-cat relayed quickly.

::Event. 294 cycles ago. What happened?:: 

The cyber-cat paused, taking a moment to flare his olfactory sensors to take in his scent. ::The brothers... got into trouble,:: He moved to his other side. ::Kept it ‘down-low.’ Wanted to avoid stressing you,” the last part was said with a hint of bitterness and a “look how that turned out” tail lash.

::How?:: Soundwave asked, accountability burning deep in his spark. If the brothers were in trouble he should’ve been able to detect it, no matter if they were keeping it from him or not.

::No idea. When they wanted to tell you, it was too late: dangerous mechs approaching. Needed to leave.:: Ravage stopped rubbing against him to snarl at said mini-cons. “Rumble! Frenzy! Are you two going to come over and greet Soundwave?"

Both the brothers flinched, fields flaring wildly as they quickly redirected their optics to find something to distract themselves with. Between them, Barricade squirmed, opening his intake in a silent scream. Frenzy's optics caught on the struggling mech first. He glanced between the vocalizer in his servos and the bound mech and decided to aid him.

“I got this, Rumble. Go greet Sound.” Frenzy jumped onto the racer’s back, reaching for his neck to reattach the torn vocalizer. Barricade continued to struggle, wreching his helm back and forth to avoid the mini-con's servos, but Frenzy was persistent. He waved a servo at his hesitant brother, "go." 

"Rumble, get over here!" Ravage ordered with another snarl, tail lashing.

Rumble couldn’t even meet his optics, but he begrudgingly began forward, dragging his pedes. “Ugh... there’s no good way ta ease int’a this... Hey, Sound,” the tiny hug he gave his hip felt cold and suspiciously as if Ravage had instructed him via comms. "Haven't seen ya in a while!" Rumble flashed a grin and Soundwave wanted to roll his optics, but he couldn’t. He missed them all too much for that.

"Soundwave, who are these..." Megatron's voice sounded distant. He angled his helm up to answer the gladiator only to have another voice catch his attention.

“An' done—gah!” Frenzy rolled out of the way of Barricade’s freed pedes as they swung around to kick him. "Hey, watch it!"

“Little fraggers!" The racer roared. "I'm gonna deactivate all of you!" He swiped at Frenzy again, but the mini-con leaped between the racer's pedes and dove towards Soundwave. When the racer turned to follow, Megatron was on him in an instant, holding him back by the shoulders. 

"Enough," he growled. 

"But they—!"

"Overpowered you. Yes. They did."

Barricade balked. "How was I supposed to know a trio of mini-cons could—“

“I said ‘enough,’” Megatron growled again, quieting the racer.

Frenzy jump out from behind Soundwave. “Sorry for fixin' yer vocalizer on the spot, ya ungrateful bulk!”

“You still fragging tore it out!” Barricade lunged for Frenzy with renewed rage only to be held back by Megatron who twisted his arm. “Ow! Primus, OK, I’m stopping! _I’m stopping_!” __

_ __ _

_ __ _

Megatron let go and Barricade, causing him to stumble out the front door. He turned back around, glaring daggers at Frenzy. “Fragger.” 

The mini-con stuck his glossa out, lifting two digits to make a lewd gesture as Megatron shut the front door, locking Barricade outside.

Frenzy then spun on a heel, attention on Soundwave. “Heya,” he gave a similar hug as his brother did to his hip. Definitely instructed by Ravage... Maybe they’d even practiced.

“Soundwave,” Megatron asked again from above him. “Who are these mini-cons?” 

He twisted his helm to the gladiator, realizing he had yet to introduce them. He opened his intake, a spark of elation mixed with trepidation causing his vocalizer to glitch. Before he could reset it, Rumble jumped to stand in front of Megatron’s pedes. 

“Who the frag wants to know?” Rumble crossed his arms, fully knowing who Megatron was. 

“Megatronus of Kaon,” Megatron, thankfully, kept an even tone with Rumble. “The mech who has been supporting Soundwave and allowing him to stay in his apartment.”

“Yes. The three of us are aware,” Ravage spoke from where he was still pressed against Soundwave’s plating, sending a growl Rumble’s way.

Rumble crossed his arms, intake squeezing into a tight line as he obviously fought over what he wanted to say. Soundwave didn’t dare read his processor, though he had to skim over it... Images of the Pit. Watching from between the pedes of larger mechs, Frenzy beside him. Watching Soundwave be thrown onto the ground. Screaming. A lot of screaming...

“What’s wrong with my apartment?” Megatron asked, a hint of challenge.

Now Rumble’s intake twisted into a Pit-spawned smirk and before he could stop the mini-con, he spoke. “Nothing ‘cept the carrier-beating mech inside it!”

He snapped his helm forward to stare at Rumble, having to reset his vocalizer again at Rumble’s thoughtless accusation to a mech sixty times his mass. Part of him wasn’t surprised. Rumble spoke his opinion without a filter. But to say something like that to Megatron? He couldn’t help but feel a spark of anger igniting in his field.

“Rumble, what the frag is wrong with you?” Ravage jumped off of Soundwave’s lap to confront the tiny demolitionist. 

“What?!” Rumble snapped defensively.

Frenzy glanced at both of them, servos beginning to twitch at his sides.

“Am I wrong?!” Rumble pointed to the silver mech. “He DID beat on Soundwave while he was carrying!”

A lethal growl from Megatron. “That is a load of scrap,” the floor shook, causing Rumble to nearly fall over as Megatron stepped up to him. “I would never lay a servo on a carrying mech!”

“You so sure ‘bout dat?” Rumble asked.

“Never!” He snarled. “I’ve never laid a servo on Soundwave! I’ve—“ He suddenly froze, optics falling back on Soundwave. “Unless...”

Images began to flow through Megatron’s processor. Memory files. He focused on them, watching each file as the gladiator sifted. He could feel Megatron’s horror as if it were his own as the gladiator opened a memory file from the Pits: their sole fight against each other. 

It had been a fight to deactivation. Megatron had entered because he was the unbeatable. Soundwave had entered because of necessity. Deactivation matches always payed more credits, and if the three (now four) of them were to survive, he had to fight. 

Megatron hadn’t known that.

In the memory file, Soundwave was holding his own, much more than he’d remembered. He could actually sense fear. Megatron was afraid of the electricity of his cables, but somehow, he pushed past this fear. When Soundwave lashed out with another cable, Megatron reached for it and pulled. He was sent sailing across the arena, straight into the gladiator’s chestplates. Before he could bring his servos up to defend himself, Megatron grabbed a hold of his waist. He felt a pulse of triumph from the memory file as the gladiator lifted him up and slammed him to the ground helm first. 

The gladiator paused, listening to the thunderous applause of the crowd encouraged him to deactivate his opponent. He lifted a heavy pede to pin him to the ground. He reached forward, seizing Soundwave’s throat, causing his helm to crane back until his back struts creaked. The crowd screamed louder, chanting Megatron’s designation, chanting for him to slit his opponent’s neck cables and let his energon flow across the arena floor...

Megatron closed the memory, his intake falling open.

“Yeah!” Rumble used Megatron’s horror to his advantage. “Bet ya didn’t know he was CARRYING during those last few matches of his! BAM! Dropped 'im right on 'is head!"

“Rumble!” Ravage snarled. 

“What? I’m just tellin’ the truth!”

Beside Soundwave, Frenzy’s servos began to twitch more erratically, fiddling with something in his subspace.

Megatron was still stunned speechless. “I didn’t know he... I didn’t know you were...”

Soundwave quickly stood, nearly knocking Frenzy off his pedes. He looked into the gladiator’s saddened optics. “Fight: early in carrying process. Termination of newspark would not have hurt me.”

“But _I_ still did...” Megatron shook his helm, overwhelming anger hardening his field. “Why were you in that match? I could’ve deactivated you! Could've deactivated Laserbeak! H-how was this allowed?”__

_ __ _

_ __ _

“Pit workers: No reason to scan for newsparks...”

Megatron’s field flared with more rage, more disgust for his actions. He could tell that the gladiator was searching for more memory files but he didn’t read into them. 

“Let’s not talk about this now,” Ravage’s plating rippled from the tension in the room. “Soundwave. Can you come with us? We all need to talk with you more privately.”

He kept his intake shut. Leave the apartment? It would just be the first time he’d be outside without Megatron, and with the way the gladiator was staring at him with such sorrow, he didn't think that would be a good idea.

“Y-you don’t have to leave,” Megatron’s spoke up, voice slightly shaking. “Stay here.”

Ravage glanced at Megatron. “We really need to talk with him alone.”

“I can give you space.” Megatron offered, but the other mini-cons either hadn’t heard him or weren’t listening.

Rumble had taken a hold of Soundwave’s slim servos and began to lead him into the guest berthroom. Frenzy nudged him forward from behind. Ravage’s tail flicked angrily but he still stalked along.

Soundwave let them take him into the berthroom, looking over his shoulder to see Megatron watching him. The gladiator’s sorrow bled through his field, sending a heavy feeling to his abdomen that increased when the door to the guest berthroom transformed shut. The moment it did, Rumble and Frenzy were immediately on him, and he was able to replace Megatron’s strong field input for their respective fields.

“Can I just say, Sound, you look so different!” Frenzy said. “I don’ remember any’a this on ya.”

“Yeah, what happened?” Rumble asked, suspicion pulsing in his field. His optics drifted down to his chassis. “Wait! Your deck's gone! Why'd ya get rid'a it?"

Soundwave didn’t let himself be put off by the mini-cons immediate notice of his lack of a cassette deck. Rumble and Frenzy weren’t ones to focus on anything for long. They could have a fight and forget about it a moment later, so his missing tape deck was what they’d naturally notice first. 

“Are you two serious,” Ravage growled. He jumped up to sit on the berth, glaring down at the brothers. “You’re not going to ask him anything about the past stellar cycle? Or better yet: what you’ve been doing the last stellar cycle?”

“Uh...” Rumble paused, looking back to Soundwave with an innocent expression. “What did you do to remove yer cassette deck?”

Ravage groaned in exasperation, resting his chin on his paws.

Soundwave answered them, lifting his long arms to gesture at himself. “Alternate mode acquired: flightframe.”

“I definitely like it, don’ get me wrong,” Frenzy said then frowned. “But it’s a shame we can’t hitch a ride no more...” 

Soundwave shook his helm. “Flight systems: crucial...” he paused. What did this mean for him? He was a former host to Rumble, Frenzy, and Ravage, but now he could no longer hold the three of them. Would they stay now that he was no longer a host? They’d stayed with him before he’d received his illegal upgrades, but it had been from necessity. They’d needed his help to survive as a minority and he’d needed their help with... everything else... Maybe he could get the mods again. There wasn’t much room in his new flightframe, but he could figure something out.

“At least Soundwave can still dock his sparkling,” Ravage pressed a paw against Laserbeak’s plating. At the touch, Laserbeak transformed and pushed off his chest plates to land on the berth beside Ravage.

“Yeah...” Rumble watched Laserbeak from the floor, his field conflicted.

“It’s good to see he’s docking,” Ravage continued with a purr. “Mini-con sparklings dock to their carriers to ease transport on the lunar surfaces. Him docking means he recognizes you as his carrier.”

“‘Least he actually recognizes him as his carrier,” Rumble climbed onto the berth. When he did, Laserbeak squawked and scrambled towards Soundwave to dock. Rumble ex-vented. “He don’ recognize me at all! He don’ even look like me either. What’s up with that?”

"You weren't exactly around for Laserbeak to pick up on your spark signature," Ravage commented.

"Or any of yer CNA," Frenzy climbed on top of the berth to shoulder his brother.

“Hold on.” Ravage lifted his helm. "You three didn't even...” he left it unsaid.

Soundwave looked away, lowering his helm in embarrassment.

"'Course not! That'd just be weird!" Rumble paused, a devilish smile stretching across his faceplates. "What, Ravage, have you been imagining us fragging?"

Ravage's lip plates curled in a snarl. "Of course I haven’t!” He flicked his tail. “You’re so tiny, Soundwave wouldn’t know when it’s in anyway.”

Rumble’s intake dropped open and Frenzy snorted. “Wow, didn’ know you could be crass, Ravage.”

Ravage huffed. “If not... other methods... what in Primus’ name were you three doing to ignite Laserbeak?”

"Symbiont bond,” Frenzy shrugged. 

“Yeah, symbiont bond,” Rumble agreed. 

"That's not even how you--" Ravage laid his chin on his paws, sighing. "You two are idiots... Not you, Soundwave. You didn’t know certain aspects of mini-con functioning that certain mechs should’ve been forged with," he snarled at the brothers.

"Hey, don' call us idiots!" Rumble snapped.

Ravage flicked his tail, ignoring Rumble. Instead, he turned his optics back to where Laserbeak clung to Soundwave's chest plates. He ex-vented on the sparkling's plating, a purr in his throat. "Even with a lack of knowledge on specific functioning, you're taking such good care of him."

"of course he would. There's no question 'bout that," Rumble's field still flared with anger at the cyber-cat. 

He shifted around to sit on the berth between the mini-cons, allowing his field to relax in their presence. Frenzy and Rumble immediately moved to his sides, pressing up against his chest plates as close to his spark chamber as they could get. Their satisfaction bled through their fields and the small, unpredictable sparks in their chambers stabilized in proximity to his. 

He had needed them. Their absence during their carrying had damaged him both physically and mentally. Mini-con sparks required stronger sparks to stabilize their own, but now he was realizing just how unstable he’d been without them.

— —

Megatron's optics were on the news screen in front of him but the words weren't translating. His processor was too busy reclassifying his perception of himself. 

A carrier-beater... The energon in his lines burned at the very thought of the unjust acusation. That's not what he is, was, or ever will be! The mini-cons didn't know a thing about him! They didn't know the violence he'd witnessed against his own carrier at the servos of his ever-absent sire or how he'd stand up to him only to be beaten worse than his carrier had! They absolutely didn't know how he'd vowed never to turn into that heinous mech!

Megatron glanced behind him at the closed door of the spare berthroom, clenching his fists rhythmically to let his anger fizzle. Soundwave had been in there for breems (not to mention with the same three mechs who broke into the apartment and attacked their sparkling-sitter). 

Should he have allowed that? He shouldn’t have. Soundwave needed to be here. With him. It no longer felt natural to return to the apartment and have Soundwave keeping to himself or tend to the tiny ball of berthsheets he'd tucked in the corner of the spare closet. 

Megatron smiled at the memory of finding the strange pile, but it was bitter sweet. All the signs had been there that Soundwave was carrying... His clinginess, compliance, interface-drive, and the tiny berthsheet Emergence nest he’d prepared but never used... Still, he’d been blind to them and Laserbeak had emerged nonetheless...

...He had been content... He’d grown used to the cyclic pattern with Soundwave. Of recharging with him, refueling with him, and taking turns fueling Laserbeak. 

His coding had adjusted to fit this new lifestyle. He felt like Laserbeak was his. Like Soundwave was his. Now, finding out that this isn’t true... He could feel a discomfort in his spark, and some distant Sire figure, or perhaps some ancient coding, telling him to root the tiny intruders from his den and reclaim his mate as his and his alone. Not like he would. There was one thing holding him back from taking it to the next step with Soundwave. 

A request to communicate interrupted his thoughts. He read through the request. Orion Pax of Iacon. The archivist. He connected immediately.

::Are you watching the news,:: Orion sounded anxious.

Megatron glanced back to the viewscreen, unable to focus on the current report on what looked like a border dispute with Vos. ::Not really,:: he answered. ::Why do you ask?::

::There was a bomb threat to Kaon’s southern mines. Iacon hasn't updated the situation yet...:: the archivist paused. ::I've been worried about you...:: 

::Don't worry yourself, Orion.:: Even through the comm-link he could feel the achivist's spark and the frequency of its revolutions. He felt the ingrained desire to calm that spark. 

::I can't help it, Megatronus,:: Orion said. ::You are not just important to Cybertron's future, you are important to me.::

His spark pulsed strongly to the archivist’s words. 

They’d only met up eleven times, nine of which were at the Pits. But even with so little time spent together, Megatron could feel the radiant energy of Orion’s spark and the way it pulled at his own. He could be at the center of the Pits, focused on a horde of spluttering Insecticons, and still feel the warmth of Orion, fluttering as he watched him fight for his functioning. 

Their sparks were compatible. Perfectly compatible. Orion had to feel it too... He’d have to ask him about their future, about if they’d merge or suffer functioning separately, knowing their perfect match was out there... 

Orion wouldn’t chose suffering, Megatron knew this. Despite the archivist’s small size, he was undeterred in what he wanted and thought was right. He’d certainly proposition him, but how would he respond to a proposition? Would he accept? Would he so easily leave Soundwave? He cared about Soundwave, maybe even loved him, but that spark-deep connection he shared with Orion wasn’t there with the slender surveilant. And... It hurt his spark to know that and made him feel broken. Ironically, the pain in his spark only served to make him pull more desperately on Orion’s.

::Go to recharge, Orion,:: he commed back. ::It’s late.::

The archivist hesitated, spark still spinning fast.

::I’ll comm you with any details the moment you online,:: he added.

This calmed him a little. ::Alright,:: Orion sighed. ::I will talk to you next cycle. I’m looking forward to.:: he disconnected from the link, leaving Megatron in silence again.

He returned his optics to the view screen only to shut the screen off when he couldn’t get back into the next report. He sighed to himself, too energized for recharge. His optics flickered over to the guest berthroom. The voices inside had faded from a low murmur with intermittent bursts of excitement to silence. He glanced behind him at the energon cube still sitting on the counter. Untouched. The sight of it made his spark dim. Soundwave hadn’t finished his final cube of the cycle. 

Megatron placed his servos on each end of the couch and pushed himself to his pedes, walking to the kitchen. He and Soundwave had shared a schedule: energon after they online, playtime with Laserbeak and getting Soundwave started on his second cube before he left for the Pits, then finishing his third cube together when he got back to the apartment.

He swiped the cube off the counter and turned back to stare across the room at the guest berthroom door. He needed to take this energon to Soundwave. It would be a good enough excuse to see what’s happening inside the room. 

He began across the room, adjusting his audials to pick up quieter noises but catching none. 

“Soundwave,” He knocked on the berthroom door, pausing to listen for an answer. When he received none, he opened his private comm link to find that Soundwave was in recharge. 

Should he online him? The mech hardly recharged as it was... 

Megatron remained by the door, clawed servos hovering nanometers from the handle. This was his apartment. He had every right to open the door to check on his recharging guests if he needed to. And he did need to. Soundwave was still recovering from Laserbeak’s Emergence. He needed all the fuel he could get, and considering the fact he wasn’t refueling properly before, every cube counted. Surely that was enough of a reason to wake him from recharge, if not just to see him.

He pushed open the door, staring into the darkened room. On the berth, he could make out Soundwave's slender shape in the position he's always in: on his side, knees bent closer to his chest plates, and arms outstretched as if he was reaching for something. The mini-cons were harder to spot but he could see Rumble and Frenzy tucked close to Soundwave’s chest plates with Laserbeak resting between them. The cyber-cat, Ravage, laid in the space between Soundwave’s pedes, chin rested on his thigh. Unlike the others, his crimson optics were online and focused on him. 

Megatron stiffened as if stillness would erase the cyber-cat’s optical footage, but it didn’t. The cyber-cat had spotted him, and having spotted him, stood to silently jump off the berth, stalking towards him with light pedesteps.

"Hello, Megatron," the cyber-cat greeted with a low chuff. 

"Hello," he said uncertainly, watching the cyber-cat as he walked around his pedes to enter the main room. The beastformer's optics panned across the walls as if he were scanning them. Maybe he was. Megatron hadn't known him for long, but it seemed as though the cyber-cat was always analyzing his surroundings.

When the cyber-cat finally spoke it was in the form of a low murmur. "Thank you for protecting him. Soundwave is important to all of us, for more reasons than you would understand, and although the others may not express it, they are thankful as well."

"I highly doubt that," Megatron commented dryly. 

"They are," Ravage asserted, sitting back on his haunches to look at him, but didn't say anything else. His optics went back to analyzing the apartment. 

Megatron let the cyber-cat continue to look around and headed to the kitchen to put away Soundwave’s untouched energon. He picked up the cube, it’s surface cold from sitting on the counter so long, and brought it over to the storage unit. He wondered how far this cube would set Soundwave back. The surveillant had been running at an 88% for the last few cycles, which was far better than the less than 25% he'd been running previously. 

“I kept watch, you know.” Ravage had followed him into the kitchen. “I saw everything.”

Including the interfacing? Megatron didn’t dare ask aloud. He already knew the answer, and it made him feel dirtier then the grime coating Kaon’s streets. 

“Not once did I feel as though he was in danger,” Ravage continued. “For that, I commemorate you.”

Megatron just grunted. It didn’t feel like he’d protected Soundwave. It felt more like Soundwave needed protection from him. All he's done is hurt the poor mech. 

"Why would you leave him?" He redirected the attention away from himself.

Ravage lifted his helm, optics dimming. 

"He's been suffering," he continued. "I hadn't even realized the extent of his suffering until he saw the three of you and his field changed.” He shuddered when he remembered the sensation. It was like he had been standing next to a completely different mech. Not the quiet, carefully reserved mech he’d come to know.

Ravage lowered his helm, a tinge of guilt in his field. "You don't know what happened..."

"I know that you left him with no clues to your whereabouts." It was hard to keep his voice lowered to not wake the others. 

Ravage‘s tail flicked. “It wasn't our choice to leave Soundwave, but in the end we had to.”

“Why,” He demanded.

“Cybertron has quickly become more dangerous for our kind,” Ravage didn’t hesitate for even a klik. “We’re hunted down, wrangled up, or deactivated. Rumble and Frenzy were being threatened on a cyclic basis.”

“Wouldn’t Soundwave have known?” Megatron asked. Soundwave had a habit of knowing everything, although now he knew that it was thanks to his telepathy... He was still... weirded out by the thought that Soundwave could pick through his processor at any given moment... The knowledge brought on a disconnect that made him feel further away from the surveilant. 

“They kept it from him when they learned about Laserbeak,” Ravage answered. “When it was too late, and the poachers were knocking on the door, we had to leave.”

“You still couldn’t have told him where you were?” He asked.

Ravage flicked his tail again. “Soundwave would've been deactivated, Megatron. Even if this situation had been different and he wasn’t carrying, he would’ve been hurt for being associated with us. All we could do do was hope he found someone who could keep him safe." 

The cyber-cat looked at him, a happy purr rumbling in his throat. "Luckily, he found you."


	9. New Accommodations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five mechs and a sparkling under one roof and _getting along_ isn't as flawless as it could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I didn't think I was going to be able to get this chapter out by the end of February! 
> 
> Enjoy!

The first thing Soundwave onlined to was a HUD warning about frame temperature. He dazedly closed the warning and searched through his new frame’s systems to disable it, but disabling the warning didn’t disable how cold his frame was.

He instinctually arched his back struts as his thin plating began to rattle. He fully expected to feel Megatron’s broad chest behind him and to share the heat his large frame generated. Only, Megatron wasn’t behind him. He shifted positions again, uncomfortable now, and collided with a frame tucked close to his chestplates. Before he could wonder what it was, his memory cells provided him with the events of last night cycle. 

Rumble, Frenzy, and Ravage had returned...

Soundwave’s spark pulsed blissfully. He tilted his helm toward himself. Frenzy was laying against him chest-to-chest. Rumble was further away. It looked as if the mini-con’s recharge had been particularly active, with him rolling to the far side of the berth in what had to be the most uncomfortable recharge position Soundwave had ever seen. He silently smirked at Rumble before searching for where Ravage was. He lifted his helm to scan the entire berth, coming up empty... _Ravage was missing..._

Soundwave jerked forward, nearly launching Frenzy off the berth.

“Wha’zz it...” Frenzy murmured, still in recharge.

Soundwave careful dislodged Frenzy from his frame as he extended his audial sensors. _There were voices in the main room. Laughing..._ Soundwave slid off the berth, careful to not disturb the still-recharging mini-cons, however, a chirp from Laserbeak informed him that he’d partially failed. 

He gently stroked Laserbeak’s back in an attempt to get him to fall back into recharge while he moved slowly towards the door to the main room. A quick tap to the side panel transformed the door open to reveal both the Megatron and Ravage sitting on the couches. Both mechs turned his way, intakes open in mid-conversation. 

With Megatron in sight, Laserbeak immediately detached from his chest plates. Soundwave caught the tiny beastformer just before he fell to the floor and adjusted his grip around his flapping wings.

Ravage purred in greeting, pushing up with his front paws to sit. “Did we wake you?”

Soundwave shook his helm, bringing Laserbeak up to reattach to his chest plates before stepping further into the room.

“We were just talking,” Megatron said, raising an arm to rest on the back of the couch, leaving a space next to him.

Soundwave glanced at the spot next to Megatron, tempted to take it. His plating was still rattling and that position looked so warm, but then he looked at Ravage.

The cyber-cat switched his gaze between him and Megatron. There was something in his keen optics, a knowing spark of bright pink, but he quickly reset his optics to hide it. “I was just about to go to recharge, actually,” he announced, glancing Megatron’s way. “It has been insightful to speak with you. I hope we get another chance.” 

Ravage hopped off the couch and padded across the floor. He rubbed his flank against Soundwave as he passed, a deep purr of approval rumbling throughout his chassis. Soundwave could only assume that this approval was for Megatron, and the cyber-cat’s approval warmed his spark.

He’d been nervous when he’d first seen them talking together. Megatron and Ravage were two mechs from two different parts of his functioning who’d never met. So it was an immense regret that they could get along.

Soundwave redirected his optics to Megatron and began toward him. Laserbeak detached from his chest plates again to reach Megatron, and this time, Soundwave carefully lowered him onto the gladiator’s lap before taking the seat offered by Megatron.

“What did you talk about?” Soundwave felt compelled to ask. 

The gladiator’s optics were on Laserbeak, watching the sparkling climb over his huge chassis. “We discussed the issues plaguing certain populations on Cybertron. Much that I’ve been blind to.” He answered, voice low. “I couldn’t even believe most of what he told me...” 

“What did he tell you?” He asked.

Megatron’s optics met his and his lip plates twitched. He didn’t answer, but Soundwave didn’t need him to. He could see the horrible pictures in the gladiator’s processor. Mass deactivation... Hunts... Kidnapping... He could see a government that was well aware of what was going on, yet didn’t do anything about it. And above everything, he could feel Megatron’s anger, a deep red cloud of growing hate...

“He told me enough,” Megatron finally decided on then paused, optical ridges furrowing. “You really care about those mini-cons...” 

Soundwave nodded slowly, angling his helm upwards to press against Megatron’s chest plates. 

Megatron sighed. His processor buzzed with thought and Soundwave closed his optics to let the larger mech’s contemplation warm his frame.

“I’m going to allow them to stay here for now,” he finally spoke. “Can you tell them that?”

Soundwave nodded and immediately moved to go tell the mini-cons, but Megatron’s servo slipped off the back of the couch to cup his hip, effectively preventing him from standing. He fell back against Megatron’s powerful frame, and the gladiator’s arm wrapped around his shoulder to pull him closer.

“You need to stop doing what I ask the moment I ask for it,” he commented with a smirk. “Stay here with me...”

— —

The second time he awoke from recharge, there was a screaming match in the kitchen and a terrified sparkling shuddering against his chest plates.

Soundwave’s frame instinctually shot up off the couch he laid on. He spun around to the commotion, bringing his arms up to cradle Laserbeak against himself.

“I want you two out of the apartment!” Megatron yelled. 

“We didn’t even do nothing!” Rumble protested.

“Yes you did!” The gladiator snapped.

Laserbeak shrieked in terror, trembling harder against him. He held his sparkling tighter and walked around the couch to enter the kitchen. All four mechs turned to him, not stopping their argument for a moment.

“They were smoking through their vents,” Megatron pointed a claw at the brothers. 

“It was just sulfur!” Frenzy lifted his servos, practically reaching across the kitchen for him. “Soundwave! You know I need it!”

"Yeah, he needs it!" Rumble defended his brother. 

Soundwave blinked his optics, systems still rebooting from recharge. Frenzy did need the sulfur dioxide. It helped to calm his hyperactive systems. Without it, he suffered horrible twitches in his servos which made it virtually impossible to function. There had been many moments back when he'd still lived with the brothers that Frenzy had been unable to work, and without his attributed funds, they'd been unable to pay a dealer for more. 

“Rumble, you don’t even need sulfur so why are you smoking it?!” Ravage was clearly aligned with Megatron on the issue.

Rumble angrily dropped the pipe, spilling the oil he was burning inside it all over the counter. "I don't see what the big problem is! So what we were smokin' it! You mechs don't have to join in!"

"It's not about joining in," Ravage snapped. "It's about Laserbeak. He doesn't need that slag in his vents." 

"Laserbeak was in the other room!" 

"Exactly!" Megatron roared. 

Laserbeak released a high-pitched whine at Megatron's booming voice, clutching tighter to Soundwave's chest plates. He lifted a servo to rub tiny circles on Laserbeak’s back, right in the spot that calmed him down, as he continued to listen to the argument.

“Where else was I supposed ta go?!" Frenzy's optics widened. "I didn' want ta hide in one'a the other rooms! You'd still be mad at me if I did that!"

"Yes, because this is my apartment! If you're going to smoke, do it outside." Megatron growled at them. 

"I'm not goin' out there!" Rumble snapped.

"Then you don't have to," Ravage flicked his tail.

"So I'm going ta be out there alone!" Frenzy raised his voice to a scream, optics glistening with lubricant that threatened to spill. 

"No, mech, don't listen ta them. You're gonna stay right here," Rumble patted his brother's shoulder. 

Megatron's field flared with anger and he began forward. 

Soundwave quickly moved along the countertop, using his smaller frametype to slip past Megatron. He knew this was going to escalate so he placed himself between Megatron and the brothers. The fields of every mech in the room vibrated with rage and Soundwave tensed, unsure if he’d be forced out of the way.

When Megatron’s broad chest plate bumped against his side, the gladiator just huffed in obvious annoyance. "Get rid of those pipes. I want them gone when I get back." 

Soundwave perked up at Megatron’s comment. If the gladiator was going to leave, Soundwave was going with him. That was the agreement. That was why he had a new altmode.

Megatron quickly noticed the interest in his field. “You’ll be coming with me, if you wish, Soundwave." 

He nodded, already moving to the gladiator's side. He was definitely going. He didn't trust anyone else with his mech... But the mini-cons...

“We’re going on a trip?!” Rumble jumped down from the counter. “Well I don’ see the point of stayin’ in some trash apartment all cycle. Let’s go!”

"No. You're not coming with us," Megatron snapped.

"Well, Soundwave's the boss, not you, so yeah, we are," Rumble slinked up beside his pedes. “Unless you’d rather we stay here, Sound?”

Soundwave looked to Megatron for an answer. This was Megatron’s decision. Even though he’d extended an invitation to the mini-cons, it didn’t mean they could live here without rules or expectations. He’d have to remind them of that... But in the meantime, it was Megatron’s decision.

“I honestly wouldn’t trust them to stay here alone,” Ravage commented from where he was still sitting on the counter. “All they’d do is destroy this place.”

“Would not!” Rumble protested. 

::Soundwave.::

Soundwave glanced up to find Megatron’s optics on him, passively signaling that he wanted to comm chat. Soundwave opened the link and listened. 

::Are you sure you want to come with me this cycle?:: He asked. ::If you were to stay here, you could have more time with your cassettes and be able to keep them out of trouble.::

Soundwave thought for a moment. As much as he’d enjoy getting reacquainted with Ravage and the brothers after being away from them for so long, he wanted to go with Megatron.

::What if he brought them with us?:: Soundwave suggested. That would address all problems with leaving them alone.

::Wouldn’t that be...:: Megatron paused.

::Dangerous?:: Soundwave asked, receiving an affirmative ping from Megatron. ::It could be.::

Megatron’s faceplates twisted in conflict before he spoke to the smaller mechs. “Rumble, Frenzy, and Ravage. Would you three like to accompany Soundwave and I to the Pits of Kaon?” 

“I would definitely appreciate a walk,” Ravage jumped off the counter.

Rumble snorted. “I thought we were already going.”

Frenzy glanced up at Soundwave, his servos twitching wildly again. “How exactly are we getting there? You don’t got the—“ he gestured at his chest plates. “The thingy. An’ we cant exactly latch onto you like Beakers can.”

“Do we have to walk?” Rumble crossed his arms.

Soundwave shook his helm and glanced at Megatron. They both had flight alternate modes now. They could carry Frenzy, Rumble, and Ravage across Kaon and to the Pits. It would be the safest option for all of them, actually.

Megatron understood his glance and turned to the mini-cons. “We can fly you three to the Pits.”

— —

Flying the three mini-cons to the Pits turned from a “we” job into a “just Megatron” job. 

Soundwave was still a novice when it came to flight and Megatron had asserted that he didn't want them riding on Soundwave. Laserbeak, being his sparkling, was the exception, as he could safely latch onto his frame. The others couldn’t, and Soundwave had agreed with Megatron that it would be unsafe to have them attempt to hold onto his smooth altmode.

This, of course, left only the gladiator to transport the three mini-cons. And to Soundwave's surprise, he actually did. 

Megatron would eventually be regretting his decision, though, because as they flew side-by-side above Kaon's streets, Rumble and Frenzy whistled at Soundwave's new alternate mode and yelled out some... less than appropriate comments. 

The gladiator’s processor flowed with amusing thoughts of throwing the mini-cons on a rooftop and leaving them behind. These thoughts didn’t get off the ground though, because they soon landed at their destination.

— —

The interior of the Pits of Kaon looked just like he'd left it. Dark. Rundown. Unfurnished, save for the many posters that lined the back halls. As they walked further into the Pits, Soundwave trailed his optics over the posters.

_Blackout vs Lugnut._

_The Terror Twins vs 777._

_Megatronus vs Soundwave._

He froze on the last poster. Why was it still on the wall? Posters were always removed after their associated match — excluding rematches, in which case, the poster remained up until a new one was created. He’d never had a rematch with Megatron. He’d been carrying and living with the mech. So why was it here? It should have been removed by now...

Megatron caught the confusion in his field. “There hasn't been an assigned matchup in orns,” he explained.

Soundwave glanced at Megatron. That was very unusual. The Pits ran on spilled energon. Without it, there were no bets placed or sponsors to support the gladiators. That meant no profit, and with no profit, there was no point.

"What does management think?" He asked. 

"Nothing," Megatron answered. "They're gone and the Pits are much better for it,” he continued to lead them down the hall. 

"Who is the executive of the Pits now," Soundwave asked, still confused. 

"I am," the gladiator's field extended like a gentle breeze against his own: pleasant and warm. "Every gladiator is their own mech. No forced matchups and no exclusion. Everyone can fight. This way.”

They were nearing the end of the hall when a silhouette exited one of the back rooms. Soundwave stiffened, focusing his processor on the stranger, but it was just Barricade. 

"Megatron," the racer greeted. "I thought I could hear you over here."

"Hey! It's him," Rumble and Frenzy, who'd both stopped to look at the posters, were now running to catch up, Ravage close behind them.

The racer stared the three of them down. “Keep them the frag away from me...” he growled to no one in particular.

“How’s the vocalizer?” Frenzy jabbed a digit at his neck cables. “Workin’ good?”

Barricade’s entire frame was rigid. “Megatron, I thought you weren’t coming in this cycle?” He asked, ignoring the tiny mech.

“I changed my mind,” Megatron responded. “Who else is here?”

Barricade shrugged. “No one too notable. Blackout’s up top monitoring the fights and Shockwave’s in his lab,” he reported. “Are you going to go out and talk to the public?”

“Later,” Megatron said. “Right now I think it would be best to catch Soundwave up on how the Pits are running now.”

"That would be best," Barricade nodded. 

Megatron shifted his optics to glance down at Soundwave. "We'll go to Shockwave's lab first, then—" 

"Shockwave!" Rumble demanded, breaking into a laughing fit. "That one-eyed dork?" Frenzy giggled. "Yeah, where is he?"

"Follow me," Barricade glared at the mini-cons. "He's just in this back room." They followed the racer down the hallway and to the entrance to the scientist's lab.

"Shockwave," Megatron called out to the mech once they'd entered only to cut himself off.

A large femme with an obnoxiously pink color scheme laid strewn across the raised surface, flaring her plating in a what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it way. Shockwave looked to be arguing with her but his protests went unheard as she climbed further out of reach. Once on top of the cabinet, her optics panned across the lab, immediately catching on Megatron's before flicking over to Soundwave's.

"Oh... You look different," the large femme tilted her helm with a wide grin. Her plating immediately began to shift and change color. As she shifted, she rolled off the counter to land on the floor, twisting to stand upright. Where there once was a bulky, pink femme stood a slightly smaller, blue-violet mech with a visor. 

Soundwave noticeably jumped at the sight. He was looking straight at his old form.

The now-mech laughed at the pulse of confusion in his field. "Current alternate mode: desired. Care to share?" His voice was a heavily vocoded replica of Soundwave’s own.

"Makeshift," Megatron growled, brushing against Soundwave’s shoulder as he stepped forward. "I distinctively remember telling you not to do that."

"My apologies," the shifter's plating shifted once more to reveal his natural, jet black frame. "It's just that you don't seem to mind when I take the form of your enemies..." 

“Soundwave is not an enemy. He is one of us,” Megatron responded with a growl of warning.

Makeshift nodded, optics flickering quickly back and forth as if he was looking for an escape route, even as the conversation shifted away from him.

“Shockwave. Where do you keep your energon?” Barricade asked as he crossed through the lab, Frenzy following him.

“Cabinet 3. The right door. Do not open the left.”

Barricade located the cabinet and opened the right door. He started digging through the cabinet, pulling out multiple cubes to set on the countertop.

“Hey! Save one for me!” Frenzy grunted as he threw himself onto the counter.

“G-Get away from me...” Barricade grumbled as he continued to dig. “Shockwave,” he called out. “You got anything better than mid-grade in here?”

“No,” the scientist answered. “Any energon higher than mid-grade is unsafe to inject into my energon lines.”

“Inject into your what?” Barricade and Frenzy spun around in unison, optics flickering as they looked the scientist up and down. 

“Oh. I guess you don’t have an intake..." Barricade murmured.

Shockwave nodded. "A logical assumption," he said before returning to his notes.

Frenzy smirked, glancing up at Barricade. "He's super weird."

Barricade rolled his optics and stepped away from the cabinet. "Are we ready to go?" He looked to Megatron. "I'm done standing around."

— —

Soundwave usually enjoyed crowds. The proximity to other mechs and the ability to camouflage made it easier for him to wirelessly connect. The problem with this crowd, though, was that everyone could see him. 

He was on a raised platform just below where Megatron was currently giving his speech. The gladiator had insisted he stand up front so that he could use his telepathy to scan the surrounding mechs. Others unaware of his abilities had objected, but Megatron remained unswayed. So, Soundwave was going to surveil. 

He panned his optics over the crowd. All of them were connected by Megatron. His words repeated over and over again in their processors. “You are being deceived...” 

These words, although simple, were revolutionary. Most mechs had been waiting their whole functioning to hear them. Yet, to speak these words was to defy the High Council and everything Cybertron had been built upon. 

He glanced back at Megatron. Soundwave knew his job was to watch the crowd and ensure that nothing happened to Megatron, but he found himself watching him nonetheless. Megatron was so passionate as he expressed the issues with Cybertron's society and how the caste system and the Primes had to end. Megatron was a mirror. All the passion from the audience reflected off of him. He'd raise his voice, he'd scream. He'd tell the crowd exactly what they wanted to hear, and in turn, they grew more passionate.

He looked away, focusing back on the crowd. Everyone's optics were still on Megatron, gleaming with reverence, except for one mech. Barricade. He could just see the shorter mech's helm above the other mechs. He was pacing on nervous pedes, optics were pointed in the distance.

He extended his reach to the mech and easily connected to his processor. The mech was currently listening to something. The local defense radio? He narrowed his optics as he tried to understand where the two unfamiliar enforcers were in their conversation. 

::The low-castes are makin' some noise again...::

::Should we stop 'em?::

::Nah. Iacon doesn't want us too... But... We can still send a carformer down there...::

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is constantly shifting with each chapter and new plot points that open up, so feedback is always appreciated!


	10. A Turn For The Worst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With tensions running high throughout Kaon, it doesn't take much for disaster to strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m definitely super late on this update, but we're not going to worry about it!
> 
> In addition to this chapter, I've also added titles and short summaries for all previous chapters and all future chapters will have them! This may not be too exciting to some, but for me, it improves the quality of this work.
> 
> I’ve also added a piece of artwork midway through this chapter that corresponds with the scene! It should be mobile friendly!
> 
> Enjoy!

::Soundwave, mechs on the local defense radio are talking about us,:: Barricade paced at the outskirts of the crowd when he commed. ::Soundwave?::

Soundwave didn’t respond. Instead, he pivoted on his heel and stepped off the raised platform, giving Megatron a quick glance before he left. The gladiator was still speaking. He was getting into it, actually, and so was the crowd. A loud chant had started in time with each line. 

_Megatron didn’t need to be bothered. He would handle this._

Soundwave made his way through the many mechs gathered behind the stage. Some moved out of the way immediately while others tried to find out where he was going. Soundwave didn’t stop for anybody, including his mini-cons when they quickly intercepted him.

“What're we doin', Sound?”

“Where we goin’?” 

He slowed his pace momentarily to coax Laserbeak from his chestplates. The sparkling squawked and flapped his wings angrily even as he was gently handed to the brothers. 

“Ah, Geez...” Rumble's optics went wide and he immediately shut his intake as he focused on holding the tiny beastformer.

Frenzy glanced between him and Rumble. “W-Where are we goin’?”

“Stay with Laserbeak,” he ordered before spotting Ravage stalk up to him from where he’d been lying on a metal beam.

“What is happening?" The cyber-cat asked. "I'm going with you."

Soundwave didn’t argue with Ravage. He nodded his helm and quickened his pace. 

::What’s happening?:: Ravage analyzed their surroundings as they walked out into the street, heading away from where the crowd was gathered. 

::Enforcers,:: Soundwave responded by comm, pivoting on the back of his heel to quickly turn into a wide alleyway.

::What are they here for? Are they armed?:: Ravage asked as they passed a homeless Kaonite recharging against a wall.

::I don’t know. We have to get in the air to find out,:: he continued down the alleyway until he reached the other side and walked into an empty-looking street.

He smoothly transformed and rolled forward on his landing gear as Ravage climbed atop. The cyber-cat dropped down to straddle his fuselage. His claws slipped into the gaps between his thin plating, carefully finding a hold. Once Ravage found a hold, Soundwave activated his engines, rocketing up into the air. They were above the rooftops in seconds and he titled his wings to turn back to where the crowd was gathered. As they neared, Soundwave ascended further, utilizing his high-tech surveillance systems to track movement on the ground. 

::I’m picking up the stench of enforcers. They’re definitely here...:: Ravage commed, olfactory sensors pointing downwards. 

Soundwave decided to use his own abilities, extending his reach to the processors of the thousands in his range. He could still feel the combined thoughts of those watching Megatron speak as well as an anxious processor that had to be Barricade’s. He continued to search for the enforcers, attempting to locate them based on their thoughts alone. 

It wasn’t too long until he found them. Both chatting through comms, speaking of Megatron’s speech, throwing insults in the direction low-castes...

“Soundwave, we’re getting close to the ground,” he felt Ravage tap him with a paw. 

He quickly adjusted himself to fly straight. He’d unknowingly flown directly towards where he’d felt the enforcers, which wasn’t bad at all. Just as he’d adjusted himself, he saw them both speeding p the highway.

Soundwave opened his group comm to contact the rest of Megatron’s entourage. ::Two enforcers. South of Megatron.”

::How close they gettin’,” someone else, a mech named Breakdown, asked.

As a response, he activated his recording equipment and zoomed in on the two enforcers. With them in shot, he broadcasted the live feed to the rest of the group.

::I’m headin’ that way now,:: Breakdown responded with the sound of a transformation.

::Wait! Nobody shoot!:: Barricade yelled through the comms. ::One of the enforcers is my brother! I can get them to go away!::

::I’m not takin’ the chance with ‘em,” Breakdown snapped.

::You damage a plate on his frame and I swear I’ll—::

Everything cut off as the two enforcers transformed and began forwards, doorwings high and threatening.

“Aw frag...” Barricade groaned.

The edge of the crowd had taken notice of the enforcers. One by one they began to turn their helms. He could sense fear and confusion in their fields, old pain from previous beatings, but above all, he felt anger inside of all of them. Anger that had been fueled by Megatron’s words. He felt a desire within the gathered mechs for change, change now. Not later. _Now._

Soundwave had to make a sharp bank to bring himself above the crowd again, momentarily bringing his recording equipment out of view, but once it was back in place, he saw the crowd charging the two enforcers. The mechs screamed, lifting their arms and chanting. They looked more like a hoard of Insecticons than Cybertronians, but with miners unable to carry integrated weapons, they were forced to use servos and weapons small enough to fit in subspace to attack.

“What are they doing?!” Ravage exclaimed aloud, cut off by the sound of blasterfire. 

The enforcers were firing into the crowd, slowly tearing away the crowd before it could reach them. Soundwave had to physically keep his engine from stalling midair as he watched plasma pierce armored plating to damage the circuits underneath. The wounded were piling up, but as they did, the crowd continued to stampede over them towards the enforcers. 

“N-No...” Ravage tensed above him, watching the scene before him with a slack jaw.

::We got a riot down here in Kaon Square! We need backup immediately!:: Soundwave heard the comm from one of the enforcers as they transformed only to be buried in the crowd.

He banked again, making a tight circle to fly by the enforcers. The two mechs had transformed out of their altmodes and were continuing to fight off the crowd while the sirens of other enforcers blared in the distance. 

As far as Soundwave was concerned, the “backup” was more of an invasion. When they swarmed in, they came in from every direction. They carried shields with them and heavy artillery cannons meant to deactivate. Soundwave tilted his wings to catch an updraft, taking himself skyward to avoid being shot down. After a riot like that, these enforcers weren’t here to ask questions. They were here to cause as much damage as possible to force anyone with a processor to evacuate.

Something within his spark was pulling him back towards the ground, though. His plating trembled as he fought it and continued to climb higher into the sky, only to realize that the pulling was his carrier protocols prioritizing his sparkling in his stress. _Laserbeak! Where was he? _Soundwave quickly searched through his memory files to see that he’d left him with the brothers in a hurry. This only worried him further. The brothers weren’t the most cautious of mechs. They ran into danger, not away from it, and he doubted the bothers’ tendencies would change in the presence of a sparkling... 

::Rumble! Frenzy!:: He attempted to contact the brothers only to receive static. 

Were they... No. They couldn’t be deactivated. The enforcers were scrambling the comms. That’s what was happening. All he could do was hope the brothers had been able to get Laserbeak to cover. If not...

“I can’t reach anyone!” Ravage growled.

“The enforcers likely jammed the comms,” he responded as he continued to fly above the horrifying scene below him. 

The enforcers had resorted to launching shards of raw Tox-En into the crowd. The shards shattered upon impact with the hard streets, releasing its poison. Miners were scrambling to get away from the sickly green gases only to have their weakened struts crumble. 

“They’re wearing enhanced ventilators,” Ravage announced, leaning dangerously far off the side of his fuselage. “Look.”

Soundwave did as Ravage directed and aimed his cameras at the enforcers. They were charging into the fumes towards the weakened mechs with gas masks. When they reached them, the mechs were violently wrenched upwards to be stasis cuffed and dragged away. The enforcers were detaining mechs... What happened if they found Rumble, Frenzy, and Laserbeak? The mini-cons could be deactivated without a second thought. _Maybe they already had..._

“I’m not letting them get away with this,” Ravage stated.

Before Soundwave could ask the meaning of Ravage’s claim, the cyber-cat pounced. 

Soundwave tilted his wings to watch as the cyber-cat plunged towards the ground with extended claws. He wanted to dive after Ravage, but there was nothing he could do except to fly straight as he watched his friend fall past the rooftops and out of sight.

He pulled up, narrowly avoiding a towering structure, and began to circle back around to where the crowd had been gathered. Megatron was no longer on the raised platform, neither were any of the others. All that remained where the heavily damaged frames of injured mechs and the red and white frames of medics moving between them. In the distance, he could see smoke rising from several city blocks. 

A quarter of Kaon had been destroyed and more was certainly on the way...

Soundwave remained high above Kaon, watching as the last of the protesters had disappeared into narrow crevasses where the enforcers couldn’t follow. The fighting seemed to be over for now, so Soundwave allowed himself to land. He dove towards an unoccupied alleyway and landed on his pedes with a dull clang. 

Hesitantly, he began forward. He could feel the vibrations of distant fighting echoing through the city around him. It sent chills up his back struts. 

::Ravage...:: he commed, receiving nothing but static. ::Ravage,:: he tried again before moving onto the brothers. :Rumble? Frenzy?::

Still no response...

He tied their signatures into a group comm-link. ::Can anyone ready me?::

Still nothing...

::Frenzy? Rumble?... Can you read me?::

::We can, Sound! Sorry ‘bout dat,” Rumble answered and he nearly collapsed in relief. 

::Location?:: he asked.

::Frenz and I jumped in a sewer when the cops started firing! Thought we’d look for you!::

::Laserbeak?:: Soundwave interrupted, his spark pulsing with fear.

::He’s with us! Although, the little bitlet’s not happy about it! Ouch! He just bit me again!::

::Send coordinates. I’ll come to you,:: he ordered before he continued to comm Ravage. The cyber-cat was still not answering and he was fearing the worst.

::Ravage!:: He tried again

::We can’t find Ravage?:: Frenzy asked.

::No. He’s not responding.:: Soundwave folded into his altmode and took off into the air again.

The streets below him were a wasteland, almost akin to the Sea of Rust. Many of the obsidian black walls of Kaon’s capital buildings were covered in the lime-green residue of Tox-En, LED lights on signs were flickering from damage, and splatters of energon puddled in the streets. 

Soundwave landed again, right outside of the Iaconian embassy. He tried his comms again, searching for Ravage.

“I’m... I’m here...”

He spun around to find the cyber-cat limping towards him, gritting his denta in obvious pain. He immediately dropped down to his knee struts to bring himself to the cyber-cat’s level.

“B-Broke both cylinders in my front legs,” Ravage informed with a barely audible whimper as he approached. “The officers fled but I know where they’re going...”

::That doesn’t matter right now,:: Soundwave commed. He gently wrapped his arms around Ravage and lifted him off the ground.

“Agh,” the cyber-cat groaned. “This is going to be bad...” 

::Shockwave will fix it. I’ll make him,:: Soundwave tried to comfort the injured cyber-cat.

“N-No, not this...” Ravage shook his narrow helm. His vocalizer was beginning to crack so he commed him instead. ::The outcome of Megatron’s rally. The mob. The deactivations... It’s going to be bad...::

Soundwave nodded. He was fully aware that this would end horribly for them. Some way or another...

::I’m almost afraid for if we go back to Megatron... What if the enforcers want him? Want you?:: Ravage asked. ::What will we do then?::

::We will remain by his side.::

— —

“Who goes there!” A voice snapped from beneath the street. 

“It’s us,” Ravage sat at the edge of the mech-hole, staring down it with a paw covering his olfactory sensors. 

“Oh, thank Primus!” The brothers cheered in unison. 

Ravage backed up to give him room to crouch at the edge of the mech-hole, murmuring, “they’re going to be filthy when we drag them out of there...” 

Soundwave knew Ravage would be right, but he was too relieved that they were alive. He reached his arm down for the brothers to climb up. Their slick servos struggled to find a hold, especially with Laserbeak between them, but once they were secure, he hauled them up to street-level. Both of the brothers were the color of wastefluid, and impossible to tell apart from each other if one didn’t recognize their distinct fields. 

“Finally we’re free!” Rumble stretched. “Frenz, remind me to never let ya convince me to go in the sewers again!” 

“Well, ya _did_ wanna go blast those enforcers!”

Laserbeak squirmed in his Rumble’s grip, crying out.

“Oop, he wants his carrier,” Rumble slipped on his slick pedes to hand Laserbeak over to him. 

The moment Laserbeak made contact with his chestplates, he immediately calmed down. Soundwave relaxed too, content at knowing that everyone was safe now. Although, he had no idea about Megatron. The gladiator hadn’t commed him since the start of the rally. Where was he? Was he safe?

“We should get back to Megatron’s apartment,” Ravage suggested. “It’s not safe on the streets.”

Soundwave nodded and pushed off of his knee struts. As he began to lead the way back, he couldn’t help the anxiety rising within him. They were forced to walk all of the way back. It was just to dangerous to attempt to carry them all on his altmode, but still... He didn’t like the fact that they were currently walking though what was essentially a battlefield. The relief Soundwave felt upon entering those double doors was immeasurable, but he still had quite a ways to go. 

They took the elevator up to their floor. On the way up, they didn’t talk. Even Rumble and Frenzy knew how serious this was. Or maybe they just weren’t pleased on seeing Megatron again. Either way, they reached the apartment door. It was open. 

Soundwave stepped closer. Several mechs were inside, including Megatron. All of them were speaking quietly.

“... 100 deactivated and over 1,500 wounded... The crowd panicked. They rushed the enforcers..." Barricade shook his helm. “It was a fragging disaster.”

“‘Fragging disaster’ is saying it lightly,” Megatron snapped. 

Another mech, Dead End, growled. “Nothing about that was right. Our own government treated us like nothin more than space dust.” 

“Most of that wasn’t our government,” a taller, dark green and blue mech designated Onslaught stated. “I saw Praxian and Iaconian enforcers.” 

“Why would Praxus get involved in this?” 

“I don’t know, Barricade, maybe you should ask your brother,” Breakdown sneered.

“Oh, can it!” Barricade growled. 

Megatron opened his intake to stop the arguing only for his optics to flicker towards the door. “Soundwave,” he acknowledged him. “Join us.” 

He nodded and entered the apartment. Ravage slinked in alongside him as Rumble and Frenzy followed close behind. The other mechs turned to scrutinize him, not having noticed his presence. Their gazes quickly turned to the waste-covered mini-cons and the obvious shape of Laserbeak clutching his chestplates. Soundwave pulled his field in tightly when he felt the violent fields of the other mechs. He took his place beside Megatron, not allowing any mech to threaten him. 

As the discussion resumed, he felt a gentle pulse from Megatron. A curious pulse, almost as if he was asking “are you okay? Where were you?”

Soundwave gave the smallest of neutral pulses in return. 

“Enforcers have also detained several of ours,” Onslaught continued. “Vortex and Blast Off are missing and I can only hope they weren’t taken to Iacon.” 

“Shockwave is gone, too,” Barricade stated with a glare at Breakdown. 

Beside him, Soundwave felt another gentle pulse from Megatron. He returned it with another neutral pulse only to realize why Megatron was extending his field to him. _He’d thought he had been detained..._

“I’m sure Wildrider will turn up, but if not, that freak got himself caught,” Motormaster growled.

“We’ll get everyone back,” Megatron asserted. “They can’t hold our mechs because they decided to defend themselves from tyranny!”

“H-Hello...” a small voice sounded.

Soundwave turned around first, finding a blue and red mech standing by the open door. He looked so out of place in the large Kaonite hall.

“Orion...” Megatron noticed him too. His voice seemed to hitch when he spoke the archivist’s designation. It made Soundwave stiffen. 

“Megatronus,” Orion’s optics flickered upwards to meet the gladiator’s. When they did, Soundwave felt a pulse of both guilt and fear in his usually vibrant field. He investigated further, reading into the archivist’s thoughts.

~He’s going to hate me for this... He’s never going to trust me again...~ 

Soundwave cocked his helm at the archivist. _What had he done to fear Megatron’s animosity?_ He focused closer, even as Megatron began to loudly usher out the gathered mechs, leaving only the three of them in the residence. 

“Why are you here?” Megatron lowered his voice to ask the archivist. 

"I was worried..." Orion responded quietly. “I heard there was a riot. I heard that you were involved...”

“I wasn’t,” Megatron corrected. “The enforcers shot first. My followers were doing what they could to defend themselves.”

Orion nodded slowly, more nervously... _What was wrong with him?_ Soundwave began to pick at Orion’s processor with his own. _Orion was nervous to be here. Just being here meant he was lying to Megatron... But why?_ He focused closer on Orion, only to detect a strange echo resonating from a point beneath his breastplate. 

Soundwave flinched, immediately recognizing what the echo meant. _Orion was bugged._ Someone else was listening to their conversation.

“If we are attacked, we will defend ourselves. The Council can’t do anything about it,” Megatron continued.

“Actually, they can judge the violence of a defense... Was a violent defense necessary?” Orion asked, still nervous. “Couldn’t you have told your followers not to fire back?”

“Orion,” Megatron’s deep voice rumbled. “It is not that easy...”

What Soundwave wanted to do was comm Megatron to warm him before he said anything incriminating, but he couldn’t. Some devices could pick up radio waves as well as voices. He knew this because he had the technology himself. If he were to comm, they’d know that he was onto them. He’d be a target...

“And why would we not defend ourselves?” Megatron continued. “They fight us because they are afraid of us. They know we are fighting to break their control so they fight hard to keep it, but they can’t win. We will never let them win.”

“I know...” Orion offlined his optics. “But there are other ways...”

“We’ve tried peace. Peace is no longer working,” Megatron’s voice lowered to a low growl.

“What about meeting with the High Council?” Orion suggested. 

Megatron frowned. “I don’t see how they’d ever allow me to speak before them.”

“I could get them to allow it,” Orion offered.

_If they weren’t listening already_, Soundwave thought to himself. 

“You’d be able to tell the Council exactly what you’ve been telling the people of Cybertron,” Orion took a step closer. “You’d be able to move them the same way you’ve been able to move everyone else.”

Megatron didn’t answer. From the look of confusion on Orion’s faceplates, this was not what he’d intended Megatron’s reaction to be. 

“You can ensure a meeting between myself and the Council?” Megatron asked

“Yes,” Orion nodded. “I even have a place for you to stay,” he glanced over at him. “Both you and Soundwave.”

Megatron’s field crackled with excitement, then evened out. “What about them?” He glanced down at Ravage and the brothers.

Orion glanced down too. “Space for them can be arranged.”

Megatron’s optics met his visor. He could see the gladiator trying to decipher his feelings through his non-visible faceplate. A moment later, he looked back to Orion. “I will meet with the Council.”

Orion nodded, that guilt returning to his field. “I will hail a transport outside for us,” he announced, turning to leave the apartment. 

Once the door transformed shut behind him, Soundwave turned to Megatron, placing a slim servo on his shoulder. “Orion is bugged.” 

“H-How do you know?” Megatron’s optical ridges furrowed in confusion. 

“I could detect feedback of our own conversation,” he answered. “A receiver.” 

Megatron looked away, falling silent to the provided information. Soundwave could sense the mental conflict in his processor. He trusted Orion, but at the same time, Orion had just been caught redhanded. 

Megatron held his optics closed. “Orion is doing what he has to do. If Iacon wants to listen. Let them listen. This is what they need to hear.”

Beneath his visor, Soundwave’s faceplates twisted in distress. “They’re going to use your words against you. We... We haven’t even arrived and we’ve already lost.” 

“...You have no way of knowing that for sure...” Megatron murmured. 

Yes. Yes he did. He’d used these tactics before when he’d still been working surveillance in the mines. Twisting words. Blackmail. All of it... He knew exactly how effective it could be and could only imagine what the High Council could cook up given the time. 

They were walking into a trap. How couldn’t Megatron see this?... 

_Because of Orion. Only because of Orion..._


	11. Outcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soundwave learns of the rally’s consequences and what has been set into motion.

“Are you coming with us or staying here?” Megatron asked as he busily moved to store energon cubes in his subspace. 

Soundwave didn’t answer. All of his instincts were begging him to convince Megatron to stay. _Orion was only here because he’d been ordered to. How else would the archivist have been able to make the trip to Kaon when the riot couldn’t have been reported in Iacon yet? _This was a trap, and Orion was trying to get him caught up in it, too. He’d been standing up front with Megatron... There was no way Iacon didn’t know who he was. Data clerks like Orion were probably trying to find records on him. Records that didn’t exist... 

“Soundwave?” Megatron asked, optics narrowing in concern.

Despite all Soundwave wanted to say, he kept his voice even and unbothered. “I’ll go with_ you_.”

Megatron nodded with a pleased expression, moving to the door. He transformed it open and stepped aside, allowing them to get past.

“Wait, wait, wait,” a voice protested. “Can’t I stay behind? I just got out of a sewer and I haven’t had time to wash!” 

“If he stays, can I? I was in a sewer too,” Frenzy stood on the tip of his pedes.

Ravage sighed beside the two of them, looking like he’d slash them if his paws weren’t broken. 

Soundwave glanced at Megatron. The gladiator was contemplating it, but above everything, Soundwave could see that he wanted to get to Orion as soon as possible without the risk of leaving his apartment at the mercy of the brothers, so he answered for him. “Rumble, Frenzy: will accompany us.”

“Aww...” the brothers whined but fell into place, followed by a limping Ravage. 

“Agh... I may need help getting there,” the cyber-cat said through gritted denta. 

Soundwave dropped down to a knee strut and reached out for Ravage. The cyber-cat limped up between his wing arms, allowing Soundwave to scoop him up against his chestplates. This caused Laserbeak to squawk and unlatch, slipping between him and Ravage to land on the floor. 

“I’ll carry him,” Megatron offered, reaching down to grab the sparkling that was already crawling towards him. 

“No! I’ve got ‘im!” Rumble announced, snatching the sparkling off the floor.

Soundwave felt an annoyed pulse from Megatron, but to his surprise, the gladiator didn’t say anything. Instead, he began down the hall and they followed. As they walked, Soundwave could still feel conflict in Megatron’s field. He could only assume it was because of Orion.

The gladiator noticed him staring and cleared his vocalizer. “We’re not only going to Iacon to speak with the High Council,” he said. “We have allies being held there. We can get them back.”

Soundwave nodded in response. _Good. So Megatron wasn’t just blindly following Orion. He had a plan for when this inevitably turned..._

“Comm Barricade, will you? Tell him to follow us.” 

Soundwave opened his comms.

“Actually,” Megatron paused. “Tell everyone.”

_Everyone?_ Soundwave opened the group comm and quickly sent a message. ::Megatron: in Iacon. His orders: follow. Reclaim allies.::

— —

"It should be up ahead...”

Orion walked in front of them, leading the way through the backstreets of Central Iacon. With everything that had happened in Kaon just joors earlier, it wasn’t the safest of choices to travel on the highway. Iacon would likely detain them, although, Soundwave suspected they wouldn’t need to expend the resources. They already had an agent leading them into the servos of enforcers... If he was right about Orion... 

“Right here,” the archivist stood at the back of some large facility. He looked tiny in front of the door that was meant to fit mechs of larger frame types. 

“This is your residence?” Megatron asked, staring at the large building. 

“No, it’s a medical facility. I asked my friend if he had space for all of you to stay and he agreed. My friend can also heal your wounds, Ravage,” Orion looked over at them to give a kind smile. 

“Hopefully he doesn’t charge for the operation either,” Ravage returned the smile with a pained purr, plating rattling against Soundwave’s chestplate. 

“Don’t worry about the price, everything will work out,” Orion turned to the huge door and activated his comms. “Ratchet, it’s Orion. I’ve brought my friends.”

~I’m glad I was expecting you early. I just sent my staff home for the dark-cycle, so it’s only us in the building,~ Soundwave picked up the medic’s comm, but no one else’s. _The medic was telling the truth about them being alone. _

The door clicked, beginning to open. Soundwave tensed as he watched it. Part of him was so sure this was a trap. It would be so easy for enforcers to hide behind that large door, but on the other side there was only a single red and white mech. This mech’s optics panned across them, growing brighter in anger. “Orion, I agreed on two Kaonites, not six!”

“I know, Ratchet,” the archivist lowered his helm guiltily. “I was planning on only bringing two...”

Ratchet groaned, reaching for the controls to transform the door shut. 

“Wait, please!” Orion begged.

“You need to find another place for them to stay.”

“Surely there’s space?” Megatron stepped beside Orion. “Soundwave, Laserbeak, Ravage, and I won’t be of any trouble to you.”

A pause. 

“Hey, what about us?!” Rumble and Frenzy demanded.

The medic scowled. “This is a medical facility! I simply do not have the space for all of you.”

“Ratchet, please allow us to compromise,” Orion attempted to persuade him.

“No! I need to keep space for mechs who were injured at _his_ rally,” Ratchet glared at Megatron who’s field pulsed angrily. 

Before Megatron could respond to the medic, Ravage spoke up from Soundwave’s arms. “I was injured.”

Ratchet went silent. He worked his jaw, fighting his medical protocols over turning them to the street or allowing them entry. “How?”

“I fell and broke my front legs.” That was technically the truth.

Ratchet’s optics flicked over to the cyber-cat’s injuries and he cringed. “Those are awful breaks... I need to take you to the operating room as soon as possible. You need to go into stasis so I can remove the shattered cylinders, I need to find replacements, and...”

Soundwave watched the medic slowly realize that if he were to admit Ravage into his facility, he’d have to admit the rest of them too. The old medic growled. “Fine, fine, fine! I’ll find you all a place to stay...”

“Thank you, Ratchet!” Orion beamed. 

“Ep, ep, don’t thank me yet. All of you get inside,” Ratchet waved them all to enter as he kept an optic on the street behind them.

Soundwave followed close to Megatron’s side. He was already getting uneasy. Just the sight of the neatly stacked devices and medical tools laid out on various counters was quickly setting him off. He felt like someone had closed their fist on his spark... 

“Follow me and for the love of Primus be quiet,” the medic ordered with a sharp hiss. “There aren’t any patients here, but there will be in the light-cycle!” 

They left the large room to enter a smaller side hallway. 

"You all can have the room on the end. There’s four berths so some of you will have to share—“

“I call my own berth!” Rumble screamed as he charged down the hall, carrying Laserbeak under his arm.

“Me too!” Frenzy chased after his brother.

The old medic stared after them with a frown. “I won’t mark that room as occupied, but if my staff hears any commotion, they will probably come down anyway.”

“We’ll keep them quiet,” Ravage promised. 

“Well, you better hope _they_ can because _you’re_ coming down to the operating room the moment I come back with a gurney. As for the rest of you: stay in this hall, and by the Allspark, don’t cause any ruckus.”

"Thank you, Ratchet," Orion smiled. 

"You've already thanked me. You don't need to do so again," Ratchet swept a death glare across the rest of them.

"Thank you, doctor," Megatron took the hint. “Your kindness is most appreciated.”

The old medic just grunted and turned away to find a gurney.

— —

There was no way Soundwave wasn’t going to be in the operating room with Ravage. He’d quickly followed after the medic, part of him feeling guilty for leaving the others behind. He knew they didn’t get along perfectly and that_ he _was the sole reason they bothered to tolerate each other.

Hopefully Laserbeak could distract them all enough... And hopefully Orion wouldn’t prove himself to be an enemy...

Ratchet must’ve sensed the tension in his field with how close he was standing to him, so he reached over to pull a panel towards him. Soundwave watched carefully. 

“Here,” the medic tapped a few buttons to bring up a projection. “I’m turning on the newscast for you.”

Soundwave remained beside the medic, keeping his optics on Ravage’s sedate form.

Ratchet frowned. “Do you usually enjoy ex-venting down mecha’s neckcables?”

He looked up, briefly scanning Ratchet’s faceplate. The Iaconian medic’s lip plates twitched uncomfortably. ~So unsettling,~ he felt in the medic’s processor. ~Something is severely wrong with this mech, but what...~

**“Iacon is continuing to work with Kaon to quell civil unrest—“**

Soundwave glanced over his shoulder at the projection. A helo femme was standing in what appeared to be the remains of Kaon Square. The blades descending from the small of her backplates twitched as she continued.

**"As you can see, investigators have yet to finish analyzing the scene," **she gestured to the intersection behind her where splotches of old energon had been roped off. **"In the past few joors, numerous energon fires, ransacked businesses, and random acts of violence have occurred in Kaon. These events have only been predicted to continue."**

From the corner of his optic he caught the medic shake his helm. "Savages...”

"Not all of us," Soundwave defended with a glare.

"Oh, I'm certain not all of you are that stupid," Ratchet continued to work. "This is the last thing any Kaonite should be doing if they want change.”

Soundwave looked back to the newscast.

**"We believe these attacks are linked to the gladiator, Megatron, and his rally held last cycle. Witness reports claim he encouraged his audience to attack two enforcers patrolling near the rally."**

Soundwave froze, his optics widening in shock. _What? No. That couldn’t be right._ He’d seen what had really happened: the crowd had turned on the Enforcers. Megatron hadn’t ordered anything... 

But at the same time, he’d been up in the air. He wouldn’t have been able to hear Megatron...

_It couldn’t be right._

Soundwave turned to see Ratchet staring at the projection now, having lifted his hands from Ravage’s frame to listen.

**“Several associates of Megatron’s have been taken into custody including the former Senator Shockwave,”** the projection changed to show a Praxian enforcer being interviewed. **“At this point in time, we believe we have everyone we need for questioning, however, we are still looking for this cyber-cat that heavily wounded five enforcers—”** A picture of Ravage flashed onscreen followed by an image of him. **“—and this flying altmode the cyber-cat jumped from. Any information leading to detainment will be rewarded.”**

The projection shut down.

Soundwave tilted his helm to find Ratchet staring at him. The medic looked away, grumbling, “I should turn you all in to the authorities...”

Soundwave just stared at him wordlessly. What could he do if the medic called the Enforcers? Obviously go under the radar, but now that he was with Megatron it wouldn’t be so easy. Megatron wasn’t just a gladiator, he was a champion. When faced with challenges, he fought. Enforcers wouldn’t deter him. So enforcers wouldn’t deter Soundwave either.

“Oh, but I won’t,” the medic grumbled. “I emerged from the Well to fulfill my function, not to be some political tool.”

Soundwave narrowed his optics, hesitating briefly. “You _are_ a political tool.”

Ratchet scoffed. “Do you really think I became a medic because that’s what some official forced me to be?”

_Yes._

“I’ve always wanted to be a medic.”

_That’s what Ratchet thought. He didn’t think he’d been forced into the role of a medic because of his status. If Ratchet had been a miner with a passion for medicine, he’d feel much differently._

“There’s always been a specific sensitivity in my servos. I was built to be a medic. What can you say about yourself?” The medic challenged.

Soundwave angled his optics down to watch the medic’s hands as they expertly worked around the coils in Ravage’s legs to attach the new cylinders. 

“I wasn’t built to fit any of the Prime’s molds,” he answered softly. In reality, he’d come out with imperfections, or “sensitivities” as the medic had called them. 

In fact, how was it that Ratchet, a mech with a sensitivity in his servos, could be praised for his talents while Soundwave was looked at as an outlier? What was different about them and their sensitivities besides caste? What allowed Ratchet to live in privilege while he’d barely escaped deactivation? 

Where was the line drawn between “gifted” and “outlier?” 

The truth was there wasn’t a line. 

There was a Prime. 

— —

“So, ya fragged Barricade yet?” 

“What’re ya talkin’ about? No! We’ve just been chitchatting a lil’ that’s all!”

“Yeah, sure that’s all you’re doin.’”

“We’re NOT!”

Megatron had to physically keep from ex-venting as he listened to the brothers yell over the news. They’d already been arguing for what seemed like orns and he desperately wanted to snap at both of them. However, Orion was sitting on the edge of a separate berth, focusing all of his attention on the news report. 

He continued to watch the archivist, but doing so only brought pain to his spark. He shouldn’t feel the way he does for Orion. Not after what Soundwave told him... _It was his spark that had the feelings for Orion. His damn spark..._

A laugh followed by a distressed squawk caught his attention. He glanced down to where the brothers were pushing to try and knock each other off their berth. Rumble had Laserbeak tucked under his arm as he pushed with his other. From where Megatron was sitting, he could see Rumble’s arm tightening around him as he fought. Laserbeak squawked again, blatantly in uncomfortable, but Rumble either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

“No, I literally did NOT interface with ‘im! I’ll send you my system reports, there was no interfacing!” Frenzy snapped.

“Fine! But if ya don’t frag him, I will!” 

“Do whatever the Pit you want, Rumble! I don’ even care! You frag anything with a valve!”

“Do not!”

“Do too!”

“DO NOT!”

Megatron's servos clenched into fists. He was tired of this. “Can you let him go?” He tried to make his growl as polite as possible.

Rumble turned to glare at him, still holding Laserbeak beneath an arm. "Who offlined and made you sire?”

His servos tightened, sharp digits digging into his palms. _He wished Rumble would offline..._ He glanced at Orion, finding the archivist still focused on the news. “Just let Laserbeak go.”

Rumble’s visor dimmed, his optics beneath it narrowing. “Whatever,” the mini-con lifted his arm to allow Laserbeak to climb out

The tiny beastformer immediately flapped his wings to reach the edge of the berth and panned his optics as if searching for a way to get to the berth Megatron was at. The gladiator stood, stepping across the hospital room to offer Laserbeak his hand. He climbed on, clutching him tightly as he held him closer to his chest plates. 

When Megatron looked up to walk back towards his berth he caught Orion’s optics watching him. The archivist smiled, “Could I hold him?” 

He hesitated. While his spark wanted to say yes—wanted to give Orion everything—his processor stopped him. “You’ll have to ask Soundwave. He’s very protective over our sparkling.” 

“_Our_ sparkling?” He heard Rumble snap angrily.

He glared at the mini-con. “What did I say?”

“That. You said that,” Frenzy answered with a frown.

Megatron felt his faceplates burn in embarrassment. “That’s obviously not what I meant,” he growled as Rumble shook his helm at him. 

Orion laughed quietly. “That’s fine, I’ll just keep my distance from Laserbeak. He’s so cute.”

Megatron sat back down on his berth, facing Orion. “He is, isn’t he?”

Orion nodded. “Very.”

Megatron looked away, unable to watch Orion as he adoringly stared at Laserbeak. The archivist was still blind to Laserbeak’s origins. He thought they’d found him abandoned on the streets... What would Orion think if he found out Laserbeak was the product of an outlier and a mini-con?

_He wouldn’t care. His spark was kind and understanding... _

Megatron sighed. What on Cybertron had cursed his spark resonance to match Orion’s? It would be different if he were more familiar with Orion. Pit, it would be different if Orion wasn’t potentially deceiving him...

“Soundwave!” The brothers screamed, jumping off their berth. 

Megatron’s helm snapped over in surprise at the mini-cons’ sudden screams. He watched them charge at the closed door and wait in anticipation. He was sure they’d been set off by nothing until the door opened, revealing the slender surveillant on the other side. Megatron felt another wave of embarrassment pass through him. No, it was guilt this time... Rumble and Frenzy knew Soundwave was coming because they were bonded. They could feel him. Megatron couldn’t feel Soundwave. He didn’t have that spark-deep relationship, but he wanted to...

_Primus, why did his spark have to hurt? _

“Where’s Ravage? He okay?” He zoned back in to hear the brothers interrogating Soundwave.

“Recovering,” came the quiet reply once the smaller mech stepped further into the room, his visor focused on him. 

Megatron knew Soundwave was analyzing the situation and trying to find where he fit. “Here,” he moved to give Soundwave space to sit beside him on the berth. _The silent mech usually needed an invitation to get closer to him, although Megatron just wished he didn’t feel as though he needed one. _

“I don’t believe I’ve ever told you how cute Laserbeak is,” Orion told Soundwave as he passed.

Soundwave’s joints locked mid-step at Orion’s words but he continued towards Megatron, sitting beside him. This close, he could feel the fear radiating off the smaller mech’s field even as he tried to hide it.

He opened his comms to Soundwave, as he handed off Laserbeak to him. ::What is Orion doing now?:: 

::He’s still recording,:: came the response.

He feared this much. All he could hope for was that Orion had been forced against his will to do this. _Hopefully Orion wouldn’t intentionally deceive them..._

The fear in Soundwave’s field remained, growing more pronounced, and Megatron had a suspicion that it wasn’t about Orion. ::What else is bothering you?:: He asked. 

Soundwave paused, angling his helm downward to look at the sparkling that had just docked. The silent mech lifted a slender servo, placing it on Laserbeak’s plating. ::Turn on the projection,:: was all he said.

Megatron complied, reaching for the remote. He turned on the projection. On the screen there was a burly black mech with deep brown highlights. He looked to be at the surface of one of the mines back in Kaon. _This mech looked so familiar..._

“Overseer Dredgen!” Frenzy took the words out of his intake. “What the frag?!”

Yes, Overseer Dredgen... Megatron had never seen this mech face-to-face but he’d heard horror stories. Dredgen was the perfect example of cruelty, neglect, and overall indifference to those beneath him. With the way he felt Soundwave’s field constrict beside him, this mech’s image had only bad memory files attached. _What had he done to him?_

**“Obviously, there have been immediate punishments to all miners participating in the rally,“** Overseer Dredgen answered a question. **“We worry about safety first and foremost. When several of our mines have been attacked by mechs who had to have access, we dissuade that behavior as soon as possible.”**

“Who is that?” Orion asked curiously, concerned at their expressions. 

“Are you kidding? That’s the worst mech on Cybertron!” Rumble snapped.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize,” Orion apologized.

“Yeah, and he’s been trying to find Soundwave for vorns!” Frenzy agreed, causing Soundwave to stiffen further.

Megatron looked down at the surveillant. “Why would he?”

Soundwave looked up at him, about to answer, only to be cut off as the interview continued. 

**“There’s been rumors about ‘trackers’? Can you give us a little more information on that?” **

Overseer Dredgen nodded. **“Yeah, we normally have our miners carry a tracker in their subspace. This makes it easy to locate them if they get caught in a cave-in. Many of our miners have had these trackers installed into their frames, but in the wake of these attacks, we’re making it a mandatory installation.”**

**“This ‘mandatory installation’ has many bots questioning the ethics of the trackers,” **he could hear the hesitation in the interviewer’s voice. She was afraid to ask this. **“Is this operation forced upon your miners?” **

**“Well, obviously it’s not forced,” **Dredgen replied gruffly.** “If a miner is unwilling, they are welcome to leave the mines. They aren’t being held here.”**

Megatron wanted to roll his optics. _Where else would an unwilling miner go? To another mine in Kaon that had the same requirements? Ridiculous._ He was lucky he’d escaped the mines as a gladiator.

Soundwave still appeared to be struggling to answer and Megatron wished he’d been forged with the surveillant’s abilities. He wished he could see inside Soundwave’s processor like he could with his.

::We need to deactivate the trackers,:: Soundwave commed him. ::Permission to relay message to others?::

::No, most are already preoccupied with getting our allies back,:: Megatron hesitated. ::Tell me who Overseer Dredgen is to you.” 

Hesitation. 

::He used to be my foster sire.::

Megatron froze. ::Really?:: He’d always known Soundwave to work surveillance in the mines, but he’d never stopped to consider how he may’ve received the position...

::I did not receive this position because I was family,:: Soundwave corrected his thoughts. ::Dredgen knew I was an outlier. Instead of following orders, he used me. He’s always wanted me back.:: A pause. ::I can deactivate the trackers.::

He could, but Megatron didn’t think he should. Soundwave had said it himself: “he’s always wanted me back.” If that was true, it would be safer to have someone else deactivate them. 

::As of now, that won’t be necessary,:: he decided. ::Next cycle, Orion and I are going to speak to the High Council. I want you to be there.::

::Affirmative::

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh, I wonder what’s going to happen at the meeting with the High Council... 🤷 
> 
> Also, if you’re not aware, Overseer Dredgen isn’t a canon character. He’s appeared in another fic of mine (Where It’s Quiet), but so far, hasn’t been mentioned by name in High-Risk. Where It’s Quiet isn’t required to understand his character, everything necessary has either already been explained or will be. However, if you’d like to read it, it will be listed as Part 1 of this series.


	12. Rising Prime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The future of Cybertron is decided in the High Council’s chamber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve kind of been holding off on this update due to what’s been happening (and still happening) in the U.S., but I think it’s time for an update. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Standing before the High Council was an honor bestowed upon few. _They could leave these halls changing Cybertron... Or they could leave with less freedom than they’d had upon entering them._

As of now, it seemed like the later.

A squad of six Elite Guard surrounded Megatron, Orion, and him as they walked into the High Council’s chambers. Soundwave wondered why they were necessary. The three of them were citizens, not criminals. Through the soldiers’ fields though, he could see that they weren’t to the Elite Guard. _Megatron and him, that was. Not Orion. The soldiers couldn’t be more trusting to Orion..._

It was angering, especially when Soundwave could detect the secret recorder still attached to Orion’s systems. The archivist was illegally recording their every word, even now...

“Step up to the platform,” the lead guard stopped, waving his servo to direct them forward.

Before Soundwave had a chance to follow Megatron, the guard beside him grabbed his shoulder. “You stay here.”

The sudden contact overwhelmed his sensitive systems. His instincts wanted to pull out of the guard’s grip and back into his own personal space, but he was quick enough to stop himself. _If he were to resist, they’d all be on him... And if his mini-cons were here, they’d all jump to defend him._ Soundwave sighed at the thought, relieved that the brothers had agreed to stay behind with Laserbeak and watch Ravage as he recovered. _He couldn’t imagine the treatment they’d receive here..._

“Keep moving,” Soundwave looked up to see the lead guard addressing Megatron.

The gladiator’s optics were on the guard who had a hold of Soundwave’s shoulder. There was anger there. Megatron obviously didn’t like how they were holding him, but he followed the order and continued towards the platform.

“Archivist, you stay here, too,” another guard stepped forward, beckoning Orion as he tried to follow Megatron.

“Oh,” Orion immediately turned around to walk back to the squad. “Sorry...” He then weaved between the soldiers, coming to stand next to Soundwave.

Soundwave just pulled his field in as tightly as he could manage, refusing to acknowledge the archivist in any way. His optics were on Megatron. He was here for Megatron. He would keep his focus on Megatron. _Not Orion._

“Megatronus...” At the back of the chamber, the councilors stood from their seats, staring down from the balcony at Megatron. They were no more than silhouettes, blocking the light and darkening the chamber.

“A miner.”

“A champion.”

“A mech who took up the name of the Fallen,” the councilors announced in turn. “We’ve heard your passion in the streets of Kaon... Yet we’ve also heard more worrying statements.”

“You said that peace was _no longer working_,” another spoke with venom in her tone. “That alone implies violence punishable by law.”

_So the Council had been gaining information from Orion..._ Soundwave kept his optics on Megatron. He couldn’t see the gladiator’s faceplates but he could feel his processor. _Recognition. Tumoil. Anger._ Best of all: _acceptance._ Megatron was starting to accept that Orion wasn’t the ally he painted himself to be.

“Yes, I know what I’ve said,” Megatron finally spoke, turning to look at Orion. “And I know that you’ve been listening...”

From the corner of his optic, he could see the archivist’s faceplates drain of all color. Soundwave scowled when he felt Orion’s surprise melt into regret. _He was only remorseful now that he’d been called out. He’d thought he was better than them. Superior to them..._

Meanwhile the councilors were staring down at Megatron.

The gladiator growled at their lack of a response. “You saw it fit, in all your judgement, to send a spy into my home. To threaten my neighbors and those close to me...”

~They made me do it... Megatronus, I didn’t want to...~

Soundwave gritted his denta in an attempt to suppress Orion’s processor, but the archivist’s silent pleads wouldn’t go away.

~The Council came into the archives. They threatened my functioning... I thought if I obeyed they would see your perspective... I didn’t want this... I didn’t...~

“In the defense of our society, it is legal to use such methods.”

“You are not defending our society by silencing me, you are further weakening it!” Megatron snapped. “Our people have degraded from what they once were and it is all _your_ doing!”

The fields of the councilors flared at the accusation and their optics seemed to narrow.

Megatron stepped closer to the Council. “Our kind used to be conquerors! We carved our own place in the universe, using the best of society no matter the size, function, or ability! We didn’t sit around in our chambers, restraining those we feared with invisible chains!”

The councilors continued to stare down at Megatron as they listened.

“We didn’t lounge in our towers, lavishly spending away that of which we did not earn! We worked!”

Most of the councilors hadn’t returned to their seats. They stood, staring down at Megatron as if just waiting to retaliate.

“What do you mean to say with this?” One of the councilors snapped.

“That you’re afraid of losing the power you’ve managed to hold!” Megatron roared. “You are lying to our people and making exceptions for your own!”

“Exceptions?” The councilors’ voice’s rose in irritation. “Every member of our species is classed upon birth. What ‘exceptions’ do you speak of?”

Megatron snarled. “You decide the laws, you decide what is right and wrong. Along the way, mechs are cast aside. Mechs that could take your power right from under you! Mechs such as miners. Mechs such as outliers.”

Soundwave tensed just as a wave of anger from the councilors at the simple mention of the word ‘outlier’. _What was Megatron doing?_ He stared at the back of the gladiator’s helm. _Would he out his identity to the councilors? He wouldn’t..._

“Because ‘form fits function,’ and by definition, outliers reject this, the moment outlier sparks emerge from the Well, they have already committed the gravest crime against the High Council. They aren’t given a chance. No one who doesn’t fit your mold is given one!”

The councilors began to raise their voices, but none could be heard over Megatron’s. “Still, your molds fail and mechs slip through the cracks! They survive in a world that hates them and will only ever fuel their rage!”

“That is enough from you!” The middle councilor snapped.

“This Council must be taken apart and Sentinel Prime must be removed from power! All the comfort the high castes have kept away will be seized and the people will receive that of which has been wrongfully held from them!”

“That is _enough!_ Megatronus, you are—“

“E-Excuse me,” A small voice cut in. “Although I stand with Megatronus, I believe his message can be relayed with greater tact.”

_Orion._ Soundwave brought his optics away from Megatron to find Orion walking towards the platform.

“Hey,” one of the soldiers went to follow Orion, but didn’t make it far before the squad leader called him back.

By now, the councilors were watching Orion. Great offense still lingered in their fields, so much so that Soundwave thought they’d deny Orion the chance to speak. _They didn’t._

“Megatronus, you may step off the dais.  
“State your message, Orion.”

Megatron stood on the platform for a moment longer before he angrily turned to step off, rage radiating from his frame. Orion took his place on the platform, immediately beginning.

“As an archivist, it is my duty to organize millions of files. In these files, I’ve found many historical accounts of our species. I’ve seen that we were not always in control of our unique biology... The Quintessons,” Orion paused. “Long ago, they forced us to perform tasks based on our alternate modes...”

Orion continued. “We didn’t see that as right back then, so we rose against the Quintessons with the belief that freedom is the right of all sentient beings. Yet even now, members of our own species lack the freedom others have.”

The councilors still seemed to be agitated from Megatron. When they spoke to Orion, there was anger in their tones.

“We were slaves—no, _objects_ to the Quintessons,” one snapped.

“They overworked us then piled us into smelters when we stopped working!” Another added.

“That does not _at all_ compare to our society!” A third hissed.

“I-I’d argue that it does,” Orion stuttered. “After the oppression we’ve faced at the hands of another species, it seems as though we’ve only developed their methods... We classify our own based on functions, much like the Quintessons did, and we often resort to violence at those that are abnormal.”

With that statement, the High Council fell silent.

“I will admit, there are benefits to our current system,” Orion continued. “It’s efficient and every mech kindled will have a place in society... But with no way to rise... We are limiting ourselves as we limit others.”

Soundwave reached out to hear the processors of the Council. Within, Orion’s words echoed back with a bubbling interest.

“Hm...,” one of the councilors tilted his helm in consideration. “There is an ancient term known as an ‘Autobot.’ Are you familiar with it?”

“Yes,” the archivist nodded.

“You remind me of one of them.”

The archivist’s field pulsed brightly.

“It’s as though I’m listening to a Prime speak,” another commented.

That seemed to spark a fire in the others’ processors. “Yes!”

“It is!”

“His words. They have been inspiring.”

“Hm...” The center councilor thought a moment. “I want to present Orion Pax to the Matrix. I want to see what it thinks of him.”

Another councilor gasped. “Do you think he’s—?”

“I have a strong feeling...”

The sound of a roaring engine filled the chamber before a large flightframe rocketed past them. The force knocked him to the ground, freeing him from the servo on his shoulder.

Soundwave rolled back to his pedes, finding all the guards still struggling to stand. He glanced at the raised platform where Orion had pushed himself to his knees. The archivist’s faceplates were the image of regret...

_At least he knows this is his fault._

Soundwave folded into his altmode and took off after Megatron, ignoring the shouts from the guards as they failed to grab him.

— —

Outside, the gladiator was flying dangerously low. Grounders swerved in surprise as Megatron’s powerful engine shook the foundations of surrounding buildings and disrupted street projections. Some even transformed in the middle of the highways to stare up as they passed. Several shouted and Soundwave could detect a cube thrown in his direction.

He couldn’t care less if they managed to hit him or not. Right now he needed to catch up to Megatron. He’d never seen the gladiator fly this recklessly before. _It scared him..._ There’d already been arrests linked to Megatron. Flying this recklessly was just asking for him and everyone close to him to be thrown behind bars.

He banked to follow Megatron through Iacon’s outskirts, opening his comm-link as he did. ::Rumble. Frenzy.::

::Yeah, Sound?:: They answered in unison.

He felt short-lived relief at hearing their voices. ::Is Ravage out of medical stasis?::

::Yeah, he’s up. Why? Somethin’ wrong?::

_Yes, something was wrong... He didn’t know where Megatron was going or what he was going to do. He needed to find them all somewhere safe._

::I’m sending coordinates to Shockwave’s lab. Get there as soon as possible.::

::W-What?:: Frenzy stuttered.

::Do _not_ let Ratchet know where you’re going.:: _He did not trust that medic not to follow them..._

::Wait, Sound, what’s happening?::

::Yeah, what’s happen—::

::Just get there,:: He said before he closed the comms.

Ahead of him, Megatron was diving to land on a cliff overlooking an energon lake. Soundwave remained in the air, circling above as he watched Megatron step up to the edge — _too close, in his opinion..._ He hesitantly spiraled down to land behind the gladiator. As he approached, Megatron didn’t look at him. His optics were on the energon lake.

“I’ve fought my entire functioning for an opportunity like that,” Megatron began, his voice drained of all emotion. “I’ve spent vorns thinking of what I would say...”

Soundwave watched him speak, unsure of what else he could do. The gladiator’s field was a barrage of sharp despair and rage that felt like it was actively repelling his own. _The meeting had broken him, there was no other way to say it._

“Wasted time... All of it...”

He tried to meet Megatron’s optics to tell him that it hadn’t all been wasted, but the gladiator was focused on something in the distance. Soundwave looked out across the lake in search of what had caught Megatron’s attention, finding an object — Trypticon Station — drifting in low orbit.

He found himself drawn to the vessel. He’d never seen it this vividly with the smog in Kaon’s skies. It looked so close despite being at great heights above Cybertron _Although considering how low in orbit it was, he’d probably be able to reach it with his new flightframe..._ He glanced back at Megatron. The gladiator’s faceplates set in a look of determination.

“With the tyranny the High Council has shown this cycle, they have revoked their right to govern. They must be removed. _We_ must remove them.” Megatron met his optics. “Soundwave, you’ve been at my side long before all of this....”

Megatron didn’t finish, but he didn’t need to. Soundwave knew what the gladiator was asking and he already had a response in the form of a slow, if not hesitant, nod.

Megatron returned his nod, turning his optics back to Trypticon Station. “We need to inform our supporters of what has happened. We need to get them to aid in the usurpation.”

“Now is the time,” Soundwave quietly agreed.

_With the restrictions that were put on the miners all across Cybertron, they couldn’t afford to wait._

“Give me time to myself, will you? I need think...”

— —

When Soundwave entered Shockwave’s lab he was expecting to see Rumble and Frenzy messing with dangerous equipment — that was a given —but he was not expecting to see Shockwave absently working on something, unbothered by the loud mini-cons.

“Sound!”

From the corner of his optics he saw Rumble leap off a lab table and race his brother towards him, though his optics were still on Shockwave. _Why was the scientist here? Wasn’t he supposed to be detained? Most importantly: why wasn’t he moving?_

Rumble and Frenzy laughed as they jumped up to hug him around his hips. “Yeah, we weren’t expectin’ to see Shockwave either!”

“Hah, he’s so weird! Been staring at that stupid machine since we got here!”

He felt a chill run down his struts. _What happened to Shockwave?_

“Soundwave,” he looked up to see Ravage jump down from a lab table, carrying Laserbeak on his back. “How was the meeting?” The cyber-cat reached through their bond for answers, finding them quickly. “Oh...”

“What?!” Rumble jumped. “Wait, what happened?”

“Did it go badly?” Frenzy cocked his helm.

He nodded as he reached down to lift Laserbeak off of Ravage. The tiny sparkling flicked his wings happily, chirping out “Carrier” while latching onto his chestplates. It relaxed Soundwave’s spark to have his sparkling so close...

“Well, what’s happenin’ now? Where’s Megatron?” Rumble asked.

He didn’t know how to answer that. Megatron was by himself. _He shouldn’t be by himself, he should be with him..._

“Megatron needs time,” he answered. “The Council did not dissuade him from his goal.”

“He’s going to start a revolution...” Ravage murmured.

Soundwave nodded.

“‘Bout time,” Rumble laughed. “I’ve been wantin’ ta kick high-caste aft for vorns!”

Soundwave couldn’t help but smile, though it wasn’t long-lasting. Revolutions were costly, and they weren’t even prepared yet... “There is something I need to do... Alone...”

The mini-cons’ fields pulsed with concern.

“Overseer Dredgen,” he said. “I’ll have to confront him for the tracking codes. Hopefully before they’re even implemented.”

“Sound...” Frenzy’s optics dimmed.

“I don’t think I want ya goin’ without us,” Rumble agreed. “I mean, I wanna confront him, too!”

He shook his helm. “You need to look after Laserbeak.”

“At least let me go with you.”

Soundwave looked into the cyber-cat’s optics, shaking his helm once again. _This was something he needed to do._ “You’re recovering.”

“My struts are repaired, I can make the journey,” Ravage insisted, though in his processor he knew that he wasn’t going to convince him otherwise. The cyber-cat released an agitated sigh and allowed Soundwave to hand Laserbeak over to him.

“I guess we’ll take care of Shockwave, too,” Rumble commented dryly.

Frenzy snickered. “The least he can do is offer to bridge Sound over to Dredge’s place, considering the fact he’s next to the ground bridge.”

“Yeah, why the frag’s he over there?”

Soundwave’s attention was directed back to the scientist. _He’d moved._ Once again, chills rattled his spinal struts as he stared at the scientist. Hesitantly, he began across the lab to stand next to the Shockwave. This close, he could feel his field. _Shockwave was definitely functioning..._ He reached out to the scientist’s processor, finding that it was working too, only slowly.

~I... N... S... T... I...~ The scientist’s processed letter-by-letter, but he didn’t need to finish for Soundwave to know what he was trying to spell.

_The Institute. He’d been taken to the Institute._ The surgeons there must have rewired Shockwave’s processor. Every system seemed to be looped into one continuous circuit. _That’s why Shockwave was processing so slow... Every action from moving a servo to cycling his vents had to be done one at a time..._

“His processor has been tampered,” Soundwave informed.

“What the frag,” Rumble’s face twisted in disgust.

“Oooh, can I fix it! Can I?!” Beside Rumble, Frenzy jumped up and down.

“I don’t think Shockwave would like that...” Ravage glanced at the still scientist.

“Well how are we gonna get Sound over to Dredgen’s?” Frenzy threw his servos in the air. “Only Shockwave knows how to control his ground bridge.”

_Maybe he could try._ Soundwave attempted to move Shockwave away from the controls, but it proved to be difficult. The scientist wasn’t purposely resisting, but his unwieldy form made it nearly impossible. Instead, he pulled at Shockwave’s processor for information. It seemed as though he was trying to give him some, but it just wasn’t fast enough.

Soundwave focused on the controls themselves, reading it’s code just as easily as he would read another’s processor. It wasn’t easy to understand, but at least it was organized. All he had to do was follow the lines down until he found an empty space in the code. _Most likely meant for coordinates._ Then he spotted the activation code.

_He’d be able to open a ground bridge without touching the controls._

Soundwave looked back to see Frenzy on Shockwave’s shoulders. The mini-con was currently trying to pry the scientist’s cranial panel off with a bent screw. All the while, Shockwave’s field pulsed _/panic/panic/panic._

“What we gonna do, Sound?” Rumble asked with one optic on his brother.

“I’m bridging myself to Dredgen.”

“H-How do we get ya back?”

“I’ll bridge myself back,” he said, stepping inside the ground bridge’s frame.

Rumble followed him, standing just outside the ground bridge frame. “What happens if something goes wrong? We don’ know how to operate the controls — lemme go with ya!”

Ravage stalked up to Rumble on three legs, cradling Laserbeak with the fourth. “Frenzy will have Shockwave fixed by then. Nothing will happen,” he said before meeting his optics. ~Be careful, Soundwave.~

Rumble stepped away from the ground bridge, field pulsing angrily. “Fine! But the moment Shockwave’s fixed, I’m goin’ though the bridge after you, Sound!”

Soundwave sent an affirmative through his field, if only to calm the distressed mini-con. There was no way he could allow any of them to be near Dredgen. _He_ knew his way around Dredgen’s quarters. They didn’t. _He_ knew what to expect. They didn’t.

With one final check to make sure everyone was clear, he sent the activation code.

— —

Soundwave walked through the swirling green light into an under-used staffroom a few doors away from Dredgen’s quarters.

He’d been tempted to bridge straight inside of the overseer’s quarters. _Knowing Dredgen, the mech wasn’t even here. He’d be in Iacon, smoking cygars and using the services of a mechling ring._ Still, he couldn’t be certain, and the spot he’d picked was empty anyway.

Soundwave extended his abilities to the edges of the halls, searching for nearby processors. So far, there were none, so he risked going out into the hall. He walked stiffly, hyperaware of every single security camera he passed by. _He’d disable them in Dredgen’s office. Dredgen was a control freak. He’d no doubt have the means to do that._

He reached Dredgen’s office and typed in the code he’d long-since memorized. There was a click in the wall before the door transformed open and Soundwave stepped inside. Dredgen’s office hadn’t changed, by the look of it. It was still nearly empty with a large array of monitors set up around his desk.

Soundwave sat down behind the desk, turning his attention to each monitor. Several were opened to message boards, others to private messages. One had a spreadsheet of what looked to be the company’s value, while another had an erotic image of a half-plated seeker. He closed that tab before looking back to the private messages. The first looked to be a thank-you from the reporter who had interviewed him. He closed that and kept searching, finding a message with a manufacturer. _The trackers._ He looked closer. The message was dated only a joor ago...

_We’ll start tests on a permanent implant_, the message read. _So far, turbo-mice have had fatal reactions, but we’ve got a good idea of what we have to do to fix the design. Shouldn’t be another megacycle!_

_What of the upgraded system?_ This message was from Dredgen. _Is there any way to make it so that I’m not the only tracking them? It’s exhausting to update this stupid system, and if my systems get shot, the whole project’s done._

Wait... Dredgen had implemented the tracking systems into his own frame? Did that mean...

“Soundwave?”

His struts locked up at the voice.

_Dredgen’s..._

Soundwave slowly rose in the seat to see above the monitors, finding the dark mech standing in the doorway, looking him up and down. “That better not be you...”

He didn’t say anything.

Dredgen frowned, unhappy with his lack of a response. _As if his previous statement had been a question he could’ve answered._ “What the frag are you doing here? I’d think you’d be offline — actually, I lways hoped you were.”

_One hit to the server. That’s all he needed to know. He could leave._ Soundwave stood, stepping away from the monitors.

Dredgen crossed the distance in three strides. “I hope you don’t think you’re welcomed back here, not after the rumors I’ve heard about you.” He shook his helm. “I know why you left. I know you were _sparked_.”

_I left because of you..._

“By a mini-con, nonetheless. One of the ones you ran off with,” Dredgen scoffed. “Or both. Pit, I have no idea how many grand-sparklings I have.”

_None. Laserbeak isn’t yours._

“Shame you didn’t bring one to show me. Did you ever consider I’d be interested in seeing them?”

_You’d only hurt him._

“Or maybe you got them terminated. You would be the mech to do that. Can’t think for yourself, never mind others.”

Soundwave glanced at the doorway behind Dredgen. _His opportunity for escape was narrowing. Maybe it he—_

A closed fist caught him in the chin and he staggered backwards, using the wall to hold himself up.

Dredgen snarled. “I’m the only reason you’re still functioning, and you act like this! You are _worthless!”_

Earlier in his functioning, he would’ve straightened himself after a hit like that. Now, he was done taking it. He was done with this part of his functioning. He had agreed to stand by Megatron’s side, and to do that, he needed to disable the tracker system: Dredgen.

Without warning, Soundwave shot his data cables out at the dark mech. The hooks locked on the edges of Dredgen’s chest plates before releasing a lethal charge. The dark mech screamed and wrapped his digits around his cables in an attempt to rip them off, but his convulsing servos wouldn’t let him.

_Dredgen’s frame grayed before it hit the floor..._

He released the hooks from Dredgen’s chestplates and struggled to pull them out of the dark mech’s clenched servos.

Once he’d gotten them tucked back into his chest, he pinged Megatron a request to speak. The gladiator opened communication and he immediately answered. ::Dredgen is offline. His tracking system along with him.::

::Excellent, Soundwave,:: the gladiator praised.

Soundwave noticed that he sounded better than he had by the lake. _Hopefully he’d had ample time to think._

::I’m prepared to address our supporters,:: Megatron continued. ::Would you mind amplifying my signal so it may be heard throughout the mines?::

He sent back an affirmative, returning to Dredgen’s desk to connect him to the intercoms throughout the mining districts.

“You all know who I am,” Megatron began. “Some of you may even know I’m in Iacon, bringing our case to the High Council...”

Soundwave connected the monitors to the security cameras in the lower levels, where it appeared the miners were on break. Normally, these miners would look exhausted. Some even attempted to sneak in a half-joor of recharge before returning to work. Though now that Megatron’s voice echoed throughout, they looked energized.

“The High Council does not design their laws with us in mind. They never will... To have fair laws, we must make our own, and to do that, we need to be the ones in control...” He paused, continuing with fire in his tone. “If you have any scrap of respect for yourselves, you will join me in Iacon and we will—“

Megatron hadn’t finished his sentence before the surrounding mechs threw their servos into the air and cheered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do apologize if this chapter was all over the place. There was a lot of stuff I wanted to fit in!
> 
> School starts in a week, so I may lose some time to write. However, I’ve already got major parts written for the next three chapters. Be expecting them soon!


	13. World of Noise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The assault begins.

Soundwave watched as the lower levels devolved into chaos. 

Mechs pulled weapons out of their subspace, tore drills off of machinery, and transformed into their altmodes to indiscriminately destroy their surroundings. He watched as a tank fired at the supports of a telecommunications array, and cringed when the costly device shattered on the floor. _They shouldn’t be destroying the mine’s assets, they should be repurposing them..._

Soundwave took his servos away from the keyboard and searched Dredgen’s desk for the intercom mic. _Maybe he could still get a message through?_ He clicked it on, but before he could say anything, he was greeted with the sounds of crunching metal and horrible screeching. 

“What in the Pit is that thing?!”

“Shoot at it!”

Soundwave snapped his helm up to the monitors, finding that the camera’s view in the lower levels were obstructed by a thick cloud of dust. He leaned closer, examining the video. His optics widened when he realized what happened. _The ceiling had caved in..._ How could that happen so quickly? What was down there?

He kept searching. There were flashes of blaster- fire and a gigantic shape moving beneath the cover of the dust. Several mechs were thrown high into the air or flung onto walls by the gigantic form. He looked closer. Many of the miners had turned their weapons on the giant, creating flashing light that partially illuminated the giant. Enough for him to see the green and purple plating of the mech and piercing red optics.

_A cityformer in the mines?!_ No, no, it wasn’t large enough to be a cityformer, but it was too large to be a miner. How had it gotten down here?

Soundwave stood from Dredgen’s chair, stepping around the overseer as he went to descend to the lower levels. _He’d need to stop it somehow before it destroyed everything useful in the mines... But first..._ He extended his abilities in search for the ground bridge in Shockwave’s lab. He easily found it and sent in his coordinates, walking through to the lab. 

“Soundwave!” He turned to see the brothers rushing towards him. They skidded to a stop in front of him, fields pulsing anxiously. 

Before he answered them, he spotted movement and saw Ravage leap off a lab table. Laserbeak was on his back, but the moment he saw him, he let go off the cyber-cat and glided towards him. The sparkling collided hard with his chest plates but immediately recovered to latch onto him. Soundwave brought up a servo to stroke Laserbeak’s back, pulsing back the same feeling of happiness. 

“Is Dredgen dead?” Ravage asked, voice hushed. 

He looked up at the cyber-cat, nodding his helm. 

“Yeah!” The brothers cheered, leaning in to hug him, though Soundwave couldn’t quite match their triumph. In fact, it didn’t feel like he’d gone through with the murder. For so long it had just been an idea in the back of his processor. Something he’d plan out to cope with various neglect throughout his sparkling orns...

Heavy pedesteps caught his attention. He glanced up to find Shockwave standing in front of him, appearing to be fully processing. 

“I will tell you the same thing I told your mini-cons—“ 

“Yeah, yeah,” Rumble interrupted the scientist. “Servos off. We get it!”

Shockwave glared at the brothers. 

“Ya could be a bit more appreciative,” Frenzy frowned. “I didn’t botch the job that bad!”

That statement — and a devilish grin from Frenzy — shut Shockwave up fast. His optic became unfocused as he retreated into his own processor to check for damage. 

“So the tracking system has been knocked offline?” Ravage asked.

He nodded. 

“What’s happening now?”

Soundwave lowered his helm as he thought back to the chaos he’d left behind in the mines. “Megatron rallied his supporters to Iacon.”

Ravage’s field pulsed with concern. “A full on civil war...”

“Has already started,” he finished for Ravage before looking back to the ground bridge’s frame. “I need to return to the mines and see what can be salvaged before it gets destroyed... There’s something down there.”

“What kind of something?” Rumble asked.

“A giant mech,” he answered.

“Like... how giant?” 

Shockwave’s heavy pedesteps returned. His antennae twitched curiously at what they were talking about. “I will activate the ground bridge.” Then he added, “I want to see the giant mech.”

Frenzy giggled. “Same here!”

“Aw yeah, let’s go!” Rumble transformed his pile drivers in preparation. 

Soundwave glanced down at his chest where Laserbeak was latched onto him. _They couldn’t bring him there, it was too dangerous._ When he opened his intake to speak his concerns, he saw that Ravage was already addressing them. 

“Who is staying behind with Laserbeak?” 

There was a brief pause. “Uh... You?” Rumble said.

“Yeah. You,” Frenzy agreed. 

The cyber-cat growled but kept his voice even. “There’s a good chance the mine will be fragile. Any misstep could collapse the whole thing, do you still want to go?”

“Pfft, of course I do,” Rumble snapped. 

“Yeah!”

Ravage frowned, “Soundwave, what do you think?”

Soundwave looked at the brothers. Their fields pulsed in unison, both desperately wanting to go. He didn’t _want_ to have either of them stay back, but he had to think of Laserbeak and who would be the most responsible in looking after him as well as who would aid them the most. 

“Frenzy. Stay behind to watch Laserbeak.” 

“What?!” Frenzy dropped to his knee struts in defeat. “Why?”

Rumble laughed, hitting his brother on the shoulder. “Don’t act like it’s the end of the world, Frenz, it’s only my kid!”

“Yeah, _your_ kid! _Your_ kid!”

Ravage’s tail lashed. “If you’re not going to take this seriously, _I’ll_ stay behind!”

Frenzy jumped to his pedes, growing defensive. “Nah, I’m stayin’! Turns out I’m the only one responsible enough to do it!” 

Ravage rolled his optics as Frenzy stepped up to Soundwave, lifting his arms to take Laserbeak. The tiny beastformer whined as Soundwave gently pulled him off his chestplates, and continued to whine as Frenzy held him. 

“Aw, don’t worry,” he cooed, but Laserbeak only began to cry and reach for Soundwave with his wings.

“We should probably get going,” Ravage suggested, turning to Shockwave who was waiting to open the ground bridge. 

Soundwave and Ravage stepped before the ground bridge, followed by Rumble who was skipping and laughing. 

“Have fun, Frenzy! Don’t do any drugs while we’re gone!”

“Frag you!” Frenzy snarled. “You know what, I’m comm-ing Barricade to drive over! I’m not sittin’ here all by myself!”

All of their optics focused on the mini-con.

“You have his commlink?” Rumble broke the silence with a sneer.

“Wha—?! N-No! Not like that! I got it from the group comm! You know, the one with everyone in it? That’s the only reason I have it!”

“Sure...”

“Frag you!” 

“No, frag _you!_ That’s what Barricade’s gonna do, ain’t it?”

“Frag. You.” 

Rumble laughed and jumped into the portal frame. He stepped between Soundwave and Ravage, whispering, “Frenzy’s so gettin’ aft.”

“Activating the ground bridge,” Shockwave flicked a switch. “You will be able to close it after us, Soundwave?”

He gave the scientist a nod before throwing a look over his shoulder to Frenzy and Laserbeak. His spark constricted tightly in an anxiousness that was almost painful now that they were about to leave. _Nothing would happen,_ he had to tell himself. _Shockwave’s lab was right under the Pits, and anyone who knew Shockwave wouldn’t dare raid his lab._

Swirling green light illuminated in the frame and Rumble was quick to run through. Ravage stalked after him and Soundwave followed, Shockwave following him in-step. 

Once through the bridge, his ped fell through. He attempted to catch himself only to realize there was no ground on the other side of the bridge. His flight systems automatically activated and he found himself folding into his altmode.

“Aaaaaaahhhhh!” Rumble screamed.

Soundwave searched for Rumble, finding the mini-con falling below him. Instinct had him activating his engines to fly straight towards him, but he stopped himself when he saw a mass of purple and green plating. He’d barely been able to transform out of his altmode when he’d collided and slid straight off the giant mech’s shoulder. He started to fall again, slipping through the mech’s digits as it tried to grab him, and hit it’s knee strut on the way to the ground where he felt as though he’d knocked his vents out.

“Primus, Sound! Ya okay?!” Rumble and Ravage—who looked mostly unharmed— were beside him. 

He scrambled to his pedes, momentarily dazed by the fall. _They’d fallen from the top floor to the bottom... This monstrous mech had destroyed the entire mine, leaving a giant hole that he could see the stars through..._

The towering mech began to reach for the three of them. Soundwave planted his pedes and extended his data cables, fully knowing they would be useless against a mech this large. _Maybe he could dive out of the way and run..._ He opened his comms to inform Rumble and Ravage when the mech froze. Without warning, it split apart, falling into six pieces. These pieces began to transform until they took the shape of their own mechs, each of which laughed and smiled giddily. 

“Scrapper, that worked!”

“Primus, we fraggin’ did it!”

“We _did_ it!”

The mech he assumed to be Scrapper braced himself as the other five mechs barreled into him, nearly bringing him to the floor. His optics flicked back and forth nervously at the attention, “Wasn’t just me that pulled that off.”

He, Rumble, and Ravage nearly backed up into Shockwave to put distance between the six mechs. The scientist had his optic on them and began to approach. The six mechs’ celebrations began to quiet as they noticed him. 

“I want to know how transformation of that complexity was achieved,” Shockwave stated. 

The mechs only stared at him.

“How were each of you able to move so flawlessly. Was it specific coding?”

The leader, Scrapper, shrugged. “It’s hard to explain...”

Shockwave stepped closer. “I will listen to any explanation. Follow me back to my lab.”

Soundwave didn’t hear the rest of the conversation. His internal comm unit pinged with a request from Megatron and he immediately opened it. 

::Soundwave. You have disabled the trackers?::

::And gained control of the mines,:: he glanced at the shrapnel-covered chasm. _If control was preventing both sides from using a resource..._

::Excellent,:: Megatron praised. ::I will be landing shortly.::

He pinged back with confusion. ::Iacon has been taken? Lost?::

::No, there is still fighting in Iacon. I’ve left Onslaught in charge of our units,:: He paused. ::We will need to find a stronger source of power if we are to defeat Sentinel’s army.::

_Sentinel Prime was using military force against them..._

::Lucky for us, I think I know where to find one.:: The gladiator closed the comm and he returned to his surroundings. 

The six mechs with Shockwave had now turned their optics to their surroundings. They looked surprised to see the damage, as if the six of them hadn’t been conscious when they’d merged into one frame... _how could that even happen? And more importantly: how could they control mechs like that?_

— —

Megatron landed in the center of the ruined mine. His presence immediately brought out the mechs who’d been hiding. Though these mechs immediately focused on Scrapper and his team, demanding their deactivations before Shockwave managed to lead them away. _Probably for experimentation..._

Now, Megatron was ordering about the gathered miners. Soundwave stood at his side with Rumble and Ravage.

“Find any surviving equipment, weapons, and documents! I want them brought to the Pits of Kaon! That will be our base of operations!” He demanded.

“Lord Megatron!” 

“What?!”

A grounder twisted out of his altmode, nearly falling to his knee struts before the gladiator. “My team and I have secured the transports you asked for.“

A grin worked its way onto Megatron’s faceplates. “Bring them here and get them equipped with heavy artillery. We will attack Trypticon Station.”

Soundwave glanced up at the gladiator. 

“I’ve learned of a rare material being studied there,” Megatron explained. “It may be crucial to our success against the Prime.” 

“What kind of material?” Rumble glanced around Soundwave to meet the gladiator’s optics. “Cuz it’s gotta be pretty fraggin’ powerful if it’s gonna beat a Prime!” 

Megatron frowned. “Does ‘Dark Energon’ meet your parameters?”

_Dark Energon. The Blood of Unicron..._ He’d heard of faint traces of the incredibly rare and dangerous substance, but never in large amounts. _Where had the scientists on Trypticon Station found Dark Energon?_ Unicron was long dead. Any traces of his Energon would by thousands of galaxies away.

“What are you planning to do with it?” Ravage asked, apprehension in his field. 

“I will integrate it into my own systems,” Megatron answered. 

Soundwave snapped his helm over to stare at Megatron. _He was going to deactivate himself!_

Megatron turned to meet his optics, seemingly unaware of his fear. “In the meantime, I want you to stay here. Several communication systems have been salvaged. Learn how to use them and ensure Trypticon Station’s staff is aware of our transports... and can’t call for backup.” 

He nodded his helm, fighting the urge to shake it and convince Megatron to leave the Dark Energon alone. If Megatron thought he could, then he should believe in him... but there was still great fear in his spark. He didn’t want Megatron to deactivate. What would happen to their cause in his absence, what would happen to him? To Laserbeak? The tiny beastformer loved Megatron like a sire. Would his little spark be able to handle his deactivation?

— —

All he needed was a response from the security team of Trypticon Station and he’d be able to jam their comms. That, or redirect them straight back into the mines... _There were so many options..._

::Twelve supply transports arriving at Trypticon Station. Clearance code: desired.::

He paused, awaiting an answer. _None yet..._

::Supply transports unsafe in Kaon. Clearance code: desired.::

::Who is this?:: A rough voice responded. 

_He was in._ The moment the comm was sent and the mine’s system was connected with Trypticon Station’s, he extended his abilities in search for the binding code. _If Megatron was willing to risk himself in integrating code, then he’d risk himself as well._ Soundwave integrated the code into his own. 

_There was no negative reaction. At least not immediately._

::I said: who is this?::

::Thundercracker, get off the fragging comm! _I_ will speak with them!::

A moment later, he was redirected to someone else.

::You want a clearance code when your ‘supply transports’ are _shooting_ at us?!::

He didn’t bother responding. He had the comms connected to his system. There was nothing Trypticon Station could do for help. Everything would go directly to him.

::You will get no clearance codes!” The voice screamed. ::Your ships will be shot out of the sky!::

He opened his comm with Megatron. ::Trypticon Station is aware of your arrival. Expect counterattack.”

Megatron didn’t respond, but he knew that the gladiator was probably relaying the message to the others. 

Soundwave continued to search through Trypticon Station’s various systems until he found its security. He then flicked on the cameras and cycled through them for the exterior cameras. _There._ He could see the transports pulling up through low orbit, nearing the rear deck, and his digits involuntarily tightened when the station’s cannons fired back at them. Most of the transports banked to the left or right, losing speed, but one remained on its course, too fast to dock. The ship broke right through the hull. 

_Was that Megatron’s transport?!_ Soundwave frantically cycled through the cameras for the rear ones near the hull breach. He cringed when he saw the state of the transport, but sighed in relief when he saw the gladiator climb out, followed by two others. 

“What happened?” Ravage could feel the tension in his field.

In response, he projected his view onto his visor for the others to see. 

“That’s _him?!_” Rumble jumped to his pedes. “He’s crazy!”

Through the edges of his visor he could see others in the mine approaching, curious as to what was happening. Soundwave ignored how uncomfortably close they were getting, choosing to focus back on Megatron. The other transports had landed in the ruined deck.

“Find the Dark Energon refineries!” Megatron ordered and the mechs scrambling out of their transports to swarm the rest of the station.

“Hmm...” a hologram lit up at the center of the large hanger. A silver seeker glared down at Megatron. “I see the trouble on the ground has finally reached us!”

Megatron didn’t grace the seeker with a response, he followed his mechs through. Soundwave kept cycling the cameras, following Megatron as he made his way through the facility. He watched him and the others gun down soldiers, guards. All the while, Soundwave’s comms began to fill with cries for help from the staff. 

“Scrap, we’ve gotta get out of here.” The last voice didn’t come from the station, it came from right next to him. 

Soundwave momentarily shut down his view of the station, seeing the hundreds of mechs who’d been watching his visor. Their helms were turned to stare up the steep walls where enforcers were parked at the top. 

“We should fight ‘em!” One aimed his weapon at the sky.

“No, we need to get out of here! Those enforcers are probably everywhere!”

_Everywhere... Frenzy. Laserbeak._

Soundwave extended his abilities, locating Shockwave’s ground bridge with ease, and opened it in front of him. The surrounding mechs stepped back, including Rumble and Ravage, but when Soundwave stepped through, they all began to follow. 

“Sound! Perfect timing!” He was greeted by Frenzy leaping up into his servos, cradling Laserbeak. “He’s been crying for—who the frag are they!”

Behind Rumble and Ravage, the others began to pile through the bridge and into the safety of Shockwave’s lab. The scientist in question did not look pleased, though was occupied in one of the back rooms. Soundwave glanced back to the ground bridge, and more piling inside, but he couldn’t close the bridge on them. _Maybe he could ground bridge them all up to Trypticon Station._

::Megatron,:: He commed, focusing his sensors back on the station. ::What is the progress with the Dark Energon?::

::The refineries have been located,:: Megatron stood before the exposed components. ::The power is mine to control.::

“You fool!” He picked up the silver seeker’s voice through the station’s audial receptors. “Do you have any idea what that will do to you?! To your _spark?!_”

In the cameras, Megatron’s chest plates transformed away, baring his spark to the blood of Unicron in its purest form. 

“You’ll _deactivate_ yourself!”

There was a flash of violet light and Megatron’s frame arched in a horrible angle. Every limb of his was rigid and twitched violently. Streaks of glowing violet lit up the gladiator’s fuel lines until he was radiating the substance. It looked like his frame would be consumed by the Dark Energon, but he regained control, moving to stand on his pedes. Megatron stared down at his forearms, laughing to himself. 

Soundwave kept his optics on Megatron, spark pulsing with relief and bubbling happiness. _Megatron hadn’t been offlined. He’d grown stronger._ Against his chest plates, Laserbeak could feel his happiness and mirrored his field.

— —

Soundwave bridged onto the far deck of Trypticon Station. Megatron’s increased strength from the Dark Energon — and the scientists’ fear of him — allowed him to seize control quickly. Transports from various locations throughout Kaon were arriving, filling the hangar with their cause’s supporters. 

“Soundwave,” a mech approached him. “Lord Megatron wants to see you. This way.”

He followed the mech down the halls of the station. Already, he could hear arguing.

“You got what you wanted.”

“That I have,” Megatron’s voice rumbled from inside the main bridge.

“So leave the rest alone!”

“Why take the power and leave the source?”

The mech transformed the door open for Soundwave and he entered to find Megatron pointing his cannon at four flightframes. They all cowered at the control panels, wings flicking in apprehension.

“Soundwave,” the gladiator greeted warmly, “I’m glad you could make it.”

He stepped into the control room, taking Megatron’s side before the flightframes.

“I’m almost finished with these seekers,” Megatron continued. “But once I am, these controls will be yours. You’ll aid me in conquering Cybertron. For _us.”_

“Conquering Cybertron?” the silver seeker stepped away from the others and cocked a hip, staring at Megatron with a grin. “I can respect your quest for power...”

One of the flightframes, the white and red one, turned to the silver in shock. “S-Starscream, what are you saying?”

Starscream lifted a servo to silence the him before he continued. “Maybe I could allow you access to our Dark Energon supplies... If you were willing to do something for _me_...”

Megatron scoffed. “What makes you so certain I need your ‘allowance?’”

The seeker just smiled. “With my position as the head scientist of Vos, I’m in direct contact with the Winglord. I can find out where he’ll be for you...”

The Winglord of Vos? That mech held a lot of power. The Winglord and their trine could prove to be great allies, if there was the slightest chance they’d align with them... _Seekers disliked associating with lower castes. They wouldn’t dare join a revolution._

“Pray tell, why would I want to know the location of some flightframe,” Megatron asked.

“To... oh, how should I say this?... Pave the way for a _successor_,” Starscream’s grin deepened.

The other three seekers hiked their wings up in shock as they stared at Starscream. Though Soundwave could feel a pulse in the air, most likely a tribe bond, between three of them. The purple seeker giggled while the blue seeker raised his wings and grinned. The white and red flightframe, however, looked horrified.

“Seekers are loyal to the Winglord,” Starscream continued. “If the Winglord is deactivated, Vos has no leader. So that’s when _I_ become Winglord and you have an army of loyal seekers...”

Megatron thought for a moment. “You make a compelling argument...” He turned to glance over his shoulder without speaking. ::Can he be trusted, Soundwave?::

Soundwave immediately opened his processor to the seeker’s, searching for any sign that he was leading them into a trap. The only thoughts he could read were full of ambition for himself and his trine. He could see the love he had for them and the hate for their persecution. _He stands with their cause._

::Starscream can be trusted,:: He commed back and Megatron nodded, directing his attention back to the seeker.

“If you want your Winglord dead, I’ll see that it is done. _However_,” Megatron’s lip plates curled into a snarl. “If you can’t sway the flightframes of Vos to my side, you will suffer the same fate as your Winglord!”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. My seekers will never know it was you that attacked.” 

“S-Starscream,” one of the flightframes cut in, voice full of horror. “We can’t allow him—“

Starscream spun to face him. “We’re not killing the Winglord. The Autobots are, isn’t that right, Jetfire?”

“No... It’s not...”

“Oh, come on, Jetfire,” the purple seeker, Skywarp, hit Jetfire on the shoulder. “You said you didn’t even like the Winglord!”

“Yeah, for the restrictions he put on our work...” Jetfire’s plating was rattling. “This is different. This is murder. I can’t do this... I can’t...”

The flightframe turned and dashed for the exit.

“After him!” Megatron ordered but the seekers didn’t move. “I said _after him!”_ He roared and lunged towards Starscream. 

“AGH! That’s my wing! Let go you glitch!” The silver seeker wrenched himself free from Megatron’s denting grip. “Jetfire is completely harmless!”

“Not when he knows of my newfound power,” Megatron took a threatening step towards the seeker. “Not when he knows of our plans!”

“Drop the bombs faster, then!” Starscream flared his wings, causing his trinemates to flinch. “He can’t tell anyone if he’s dead!” The seeker’s field pulsed with conflict and anguish, but in the end, he pushed it down, processor focusing back on his trinemates.

“You best be going then if you are to sway the survivors to my side,” Megatron ordered.

“Right away...” Starscream growled, beckoning his trinemates to follow him out of the control room. 

Soundwave kept his optics on them a moment longer then returned to Megatron. The gladiator was looking out the front window of Trypticon Station, a determined look in his optics. He then glanced down at him, that determined look turning into a pleased smile. “You’ve brought Laserbeak. Good. I’ve been wanting to see him...” 

Megatron reached for his chestplates. Soundwave let him, tilting his helm down to watch as he attempted to coax Laserbeak into his servos. The sparkling—usually so excited to see the gladiator—now seemed hesitant. _He could probably sense something wrong with Megatron’s spark and didn’t recognize him..._

“Oh, come here, little one,” Megatron cooed, and was finally able to get the sparkling into his arms. 

Soundwave found himself increasingly alert, even as Megatron began to gently rock on his pedes, cooing Laserbeak into recharge.

He tried to relax. Megatron wasn’t someone he should be hesitant about. Megatron had their best interests in mind... but his spark had been infused with Dark Energon... how would it affect him in the long term? Would he still be the Megatron he knew? It didn’t seem like it... Those violet eyes were unlike the crimson he’d often stared into. _When he met them, was Megatron looking back at him, or some manifestation?_

He didn’t want to know the answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so happy about this chapter. Not only is it the starting point of whole new cascade of events, it introduces Starscream and the Constructicons! I’ve been wanting to add these guys _so badly,_ so I’m really curious about what you guys think. Don’t be afraid to comment!


	14. Mob Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is quickly progressing, Iacon has been swarmed, and a new enemy rises.

“I wanted us in Iacon _now!”_ What are your underlings doing?!”

Soundwave was still at the controls, working to reboot the systems that had been knocked offline from the Dark Energon surge. Ravage was sitting by his pedes while the brothers had took off with Laserbeak, bringing the sparkling to pick out a room for them. Directly behind him, Megatron was arguing with Starscream, their new Air Commander. 

“They are repairing what _you _broke when you carelessly tore a_ hole _in the side of this station!” 

“Repairs can be done when we are well on our way,” Megatron’s voice developed a threatening tone to it, one in which Starscream seemed to ignore.

“And just let any flyer board our station?!”

Megatron’s field flared threateningly. “Are you not confident in your seekers?”

“Of course I’m confident! All I’m saying is that we need to be focusing on other targets! Why show up to Iacon with only one station? There are others to be seized! We have the power to—“

“Then _you_ take your seekers and seize them! _I_ will be going after Sentinel Prime on the ground! He is our priority target!”

“Lord Megatron, that’s—“

“Enough!”

Soundwave reconnected the cables and the monitors lit up.

“Ah,” there was a pleased rumble in Megatron’s chest that vibrated the air at his back. “You got our communications activated. At least _someone_ knows how to follow orders!”

Before Starscream could throw in his rebuttal, footage popped up on the screen. Downtown Iacon. Collapsed structures, fire, low visibility. All while there was a single, recognizable voice. _The Prime._ Everyone in the room tensed as they listened.

**“My subjects. These decepticons are pushing towards the palace in an attempt to destroy everything sacred to us. They will _not _succeed.”**

“What did the Prime just call us?” Megatron snarled, somehow sounded more amused than angered. 

“Decepticon,” Starscream answered with a scowl. “It’s an old insult.”

Soundwave glanced to see that Megatron had a smirk on his faceplates. 

“It’s not supposed to be funny,” Starscream noticed the Warlord’s smirk, too. 

“I’m sure it’s not,” Megatron spoke. “Which is why I would like to inform Sentinel Prime that his so-called ‘Decepticons’ will be arriving shortly.” 

— —

**”A large group of miners have just hijacked Trypticon Station and turned it against Iacon. If you have not evacuated, we advise you do so...”**

Orion couldn’t bring himself to watch the reporter. A glance of her spark-broken faceplate was enough for him. He didn’t need to know the devastation... _He knew it would be awful..._

“Hey, how ya want these packed?” Beside him, the black and white mech with a blue visor lifted a data pad, gently shaking it to get his attention.

Orion blinked, pulling himself out of his processor to focus back on the here and now. “Any way will do, p-please get them packed safely!” 

“Gotcha,” the mech nodded before continuing.

With the other mech’s frame taking up all of his desk space, Orion was able to step back and ex-vent. He didn’t know where anything was now. The moment he’d heard what was happening across Cybertron, he’d torn his desk apart to pack. _It had been such an overwhelming sight. _He’d frozen in fear, unable to move even as the other archivists had quickly packed up their things and left. _It had taken a guard to come and tap him on the shoulder before he could finally move._

“Hey, hey, don’t panic,” he looked back to the guard who was still working to pack his things. “I’ve got this here. If there’s anythin’ else ya’ve gotta do, do it, cuz we’ve gotta leave in a klik.”

“O-Okay,” Orion ran through everything in his processor. _What else was there..._ He was quickly provided with an answer. “The relics! I’ll be back!” 

He turned and rushed through the Hall of Records, skidding to a stop at the entrance to the relic room. 

“Alpha Trion?”

“Orion Pax,” the ancient mech turned to greet him. There was no change in his field, or any form of surprise. _It was as if he’d been expecting him..._ “You should be with Sentinel Prime at this moment.”

“S-Sorry, I’m still packing, I...” He glanced down at Alpha Trion’s servos. The ancient mech was holding a large capsule in one and a data pad containing several formulas in the other. 

“What are you doing?” Orion asked then shook himself. “Here, let me help you.” He tried to reach for the capsule only for the ancient mech to hold it out of reach. 

“No, Orion,” Alpha Trion’s kind faceplates were serious. “I can handle preservation.”

“Preservation?” 

Alpha Trion nodded. “I’m moving these relics off-world, well out of the reach of those who would abuse them. At least for the time being...”

Orion glanced at the rows of relics behind them. There were still so many. _Would Alpha Trion have time to seal them all?_

The ancient mech, seeming to understand his hesitation, have him an encouraging smile. “Go, Orion. I will be fine here.”

_Oh, why didn’t his spark believe that to be true?_

“You, however, will not,” the ancient mech continued. “You must leave with Jazz, the mech who is helping you pack. He will guide you to Sentinel Prime where...” the ancient mech cut himself off, his usual lighthearted expression returning to his face. “The rest is for Optimus to find out.”

— —

::We’re losing ground! Where is our aerial support?:: Onslaught roared through the comms.

::Ahead of you, dirtkisser!:: Starscream snapped. 

::Starscream!:: Megatron cut in. ::I want a clear-cut path to the Prime! Move your forces back to Onslaught!::

_There was nothing to do but wait..._

Soundwave hadn’t been permitted to join the assault. His frame wasn’t well-equipped for it and his skills in monitoring communications were needed in Trypticon Station. Though, he was aware of the soft spot Megatron had for him—his _need_ to keep him protected—and while he wasn’t bothered by it, he still found it hard to just watch as the heart of the Elite Guard fought head-on with their forces. 

This sentiment was shared with most of the others left behind. All of the wounded seekers from the bombing of Vos were onboard now, claws unsheathed and wings flaring in agitation. Shockwave was kept himself busy moving his things to the station, utilizing the help of those six construction mechs. And his mini-cons had joined him on the bridge, there loud voices repelling the others until they were mostly alone.

“We chose the _perfect_ berthroom for the lot of us!” Rumble smiled from where he sat on the console. “I can’t wait for you to see it!”

“Yeah, it’s really good!” Frenzy agreed from where he sat beside his brother. 

Rumble glanced at him, a devilish smirk on his faceplates. “We chose one nice and close to Megatron for you, and Barricade for Frenzy.”

Soundwave stiffened at the comment, checking his proximity sensors to double check that no one else was within audial range.

“Ye—Hey!” Frenzy brought his fist back to punch Rumble, though he only covered his crucial components and giggled as Frenzy kept smacking him.

Laserbeak, who was latched onto Soundwave’s chestplates, lifted his tiny helm to watch the fight. He began to chirp and flap his wings happily, repeating several of the phrases Frenzy was screaming.

“Ugh...” From his position curled up beside the desk, Ravage growled. “You both are the worst influences on this sparkling...”

The brothers stopped, but only to retort. “At least he’s learnin’ somethin’ from us!” 

“Yeah, how to say ‘frag’ every other word...”

“That’s a lie! We hardly every say ‘frag!’” 

“Take that fraggin’ back, Ravage!”

Soundwave kept his attention on the screens. He was currently using the station’s outside security footage to monitor the attack from above. It wasn’t perfect. In fact, most of his cameras had been shot out by troops defending Iacon, though it was only a minor nuisance. At least it _felt_ that way. 

He obviously wasn’t on the ground, but from what he could see in the air, Iacon was severely outmatched. Elite Guard gathered at the gates to defend the Prime, but they were all quickly mowed down. _Nothing_ could stop their army and the tactical advantage of Starscream’s seekers. Iacon might have had allied flightframes before, but now they’d all been shot down. Now Trypticon Station was unreachable by anything other than a highly-visibly transport. Barrages of missiles rained down, and Iacon was defenseless. 

Megatron shot down the front door and walked straight in.

Soundwave’s optics remained on the screen. He couldn’t hear anything happening down there, but he could see the flashes of light. _There was a gunfight. Was Megatron winning?_ He banished that thought, continuing to watch the door before a message blared through the comms.

::Shockwave, we need a ground bridge!:: 

Megatron’s order sent a pulse of relief through his frame.

::Shockwave!:: The gladiator snapped again.

He focused on the comms, listening for Shockwave. There was no response. _The scientist must be busy with those Constructicons._ He’d need to aid in his stead.

Soundwave extended his abilities to find the console. ::Activating ground bridge.:: He sent the command to bridge them straight into the control room. 

Soundwave turned around only to be greeted by a mob of screaming mechs and femmes.

“Get him inside!”

“Hurry, hurry, hurry!”

“I’ve got him, I’ve got him!”

“Someone grab his other arm!”

“Hurry!”

Soundwave backed up against the console, nearly stepping on Rumble and Frenzy as the brothers moved out of the way of the mob, releasing a flurry of curses.

“Soundwave!” Before he saw Megatron come through the ground bridge, he heard him. “Stay with them! I don’t want the Prime leaving your sight!”

Soundwave turned to follow the mob without question. He knew Megatron had a reason for it—most likely his telepathy. With it, he would be able to pick out information from the Prime without him knowing.

“Hey, don’t leave without us!” Rumble and Frenzy called from behind him followed by a growl as Ravage attempted to keep them back.

Soundwave continued to follow the large group. Only a few mechs were holding up the Prime now, but the others lingered, _no doubt wanting to have words with the Prime..._ Soundwave had to squeeze through the large group when they were all held up by the small entrance, gritting as he was surrounded by EM fields and his sensitive plating came into contact with others. 

In the back of the room, Sentinel Prime was being chained up on what looked like an electrical torture device. The Prime was howling in pain, twisting to try and get out of the binds.

“Stop screaming!” One of the mechs snapped, wrenching the Prime’s right arm up higher, causing him to scream louder.

Soundwave’s optics flickered to the Prime’s loose shoulder joint. _The components must be broken..._

“You’re not the medic by any chance?”

He looked up to see one of the mechs with a servo against a deep gash in Sentinel’s side. Energon poured out between the mech’s digits. 

“No he’s not, he runs communications,” the other mech answered, flashing him a grin as he finished with the Prime’s electro-restraints. “He’s all yours, officer...”

“Have fun...” The other chuckled darkly before they left the chamber, leaving him alone with the highest ranking mech on Cybertron.

Soundwave slowly, almost hesitantly, stepped up to where the Prime was outstretched. He really didn’t want to be in this room, with _this_ mech, but Megatron had ordered it. _He’d tolerate it for Megatron..._ Rumble and Frenzy stepped up beside him, bravely moving closer.

Sentinel lifted his helm, staring at Soundwave with hate in his cracked optics. “Tell...” The Prime’s voice was weak. “Tell me your designation...”

Soundwave didn’t answer. He kept his attention locked on the Prime’s processor, searching for any signs of communication between him and potential rescuers. _They didn’t need comm inhibitors when they had him..._ and better yet, it gave him an excuse not to speak with him. Sentinel Prime was the _last_ mech he’d ever want to speak with. He was only a face to represent the suffering he’d been surrounded with his whole functioning. 

_He’d probably never even met the mechs he limited..._

“Tell me your designation!” At his silence, the Prime grew agitated, starting to shake in his restraints. 

“Eh, we don’ really _feel_ like it,” Rumble spoke first, derma pulled into a sneer.

Sentinel Prime’s faceplates twisted in confusion, broken optics searching for the source of the new voice.

“Down here!” Rumble’s placed his servos on his hips with a small thunk. “A little lower! Little lower! _There you go!”_

Sentinel growled in disgust. “You creatures should speak with more reverence for your Prime...”

“Or what?” Rumble challenged, the Prime’s insult flying right over his helm. “Ya gonna kick us?”

Frenzy joined in with a malicious giggle. “Kinda hard when your pedes are chained!”

Sentinel growled, snapping his gaze up from the mini-cons and back to him. “Tell me your designation! Or are you going to let your lessers speak for you?”

Soundwave clenched his servos. He’d had enough of the Prime and the way he was talking to the brothers. “Soundwave, Communications Officer of the Decepticon Army.”

“Communications Officer,” Sentinel repeated with a sneer. “So you’re no soldier...”

His words came out as an insult, but Soundwave wouldn’t let himself be insulted. Before, only members of high-caste spark-lines could become soldiers, and on top of that, it took vorns of training to even be considered for a position. Now, anyone could be a soldier. The war proved it. The Decepticons proved it.

“Why don’t you go tell Megatron that this uprising of his will not last,” the Prime spoke with the confidence of an unchained mech. “Many mechs have tried. All have failed.”

“Megatron won’t!” Rumble snapped.

“Yeah, he can’t be beaten!” Frenzy agreed. “Especially not by the likes of you!”

The Prime scowled at all of them. “I am the leader of thousands of legions! When we take back Iacon—“

_When?_ Soundwave wanted to laugh. Instead, he pulled up recent data files from many of the stations still covering the attacks. “Damage to Iacon: 64%. Approximate damage to Iacon by end of cycle: 85%”

The Prime scoffed. “You're lying. Our allies—”

“Are not coming,” Soundwave interrupted him, pulling up more data. “Damage to Praxus: 29%, Damage to Polyhex: 14%, expected takeover: three cycles. Damage to — “

“You’re—“

The brothers laughed. “The war has already been won, big bot! An’ you’re gonna rust in this chamber the rest of your functioning!”

For the first time, the Prime’s facial expression grew grim. He pulled his field inward, actively avoiding theirs, though Soundwave could still feel his processor. _Fear._ The Prime was afraid. 

“Aw, gonna cry?” Rumble taunted.

Sentinel didn’t answer. He kept his helm lowered, optics trained on the floor. It wasn’t until heavy pedesteps approached when the Prime seemed to be revitalized. Sentinel’s helm was lifted now, glaring at the mech behind him.

“Ah, Soundwave,” he felt Megatron’s field before he heard his voice. “How is our guest?”

He looked over his shoulders at the Dark Energon infused mech. Before he could answer, Rumble jumped in front of him, followed closely by Frenzy.

“Nice and warmed up for ya!”

Megatron frowned at the mini-cons. “Get out.”

“What did we—?”

“Get out!”

“Geez,” Rumble murmured to Frenzy. “One hit of Dark Energon and suddenly you’re a jerk...”

“Yeah, remember when he got on our case about the sulfur?”

“Fraggin’ hypocrite...”

When the mini-cons had left the chamber, Megatron stepped forward, standing at his side. Soundwave found himself wanting to pull his field back in. _Every since the Dark Energon he’s been unsure..._ but he kept his field level, feeling how the warlord’s brushed against his own.

“I hope you enjoy this power while it lasts,” the Prime snapped.

Megatron smirked. “I can’t say I’m not.”

“It won’t last forever...” The Prime turned his helm, meeting his dark visor. “Tell him, Soundwave. Tell him exactly what I told you...”

Megatron’s field instantly changed from an active, high off of a victory, warmth to a sheer cold warning. He lunged for the Prime so quickly that Soundwave hadn’t had time to abort a flinch. _There was no predicting Megatron now... Not with the Dark Energon..._ When he’d refocused his optics, he saw Megatron’s large servo around the Prime’s throat cables.

“P-P-Please, d-don’t, d...” there was spittle on the Prime’s intake as he begged.

“You do _not_ give him orders!” Megatron squeezed harder until the Prime’s faceplates began to pop outwards from the pressure. 

Sentinel continued to thrash, jerking his frame as far as his binds would let him. Megatron’s servo was a constant pressure on him and soon the Prime’s optics began to dim, his struggling slowed, and his frame went limp. Megatron released the Prime’s throat and Soundwave was expecting to see the Prime’s frame start to gray, but it remained a deep blue color.

“We will leave the Prime here for now,” Megatron stepped back, fist clenching and unclenching as if he regretted not ending him. “There are other things we must attend to. Come.”

He followed, meeting back up with Rumble and Frenzy on the outside of the chamber as well as dozens of guards assigned to the door. 

“What’s our next target?” Soundwave asked, not really needing to ask. He could see from Megatron’s processor that he wanted to go after Orion Pax. That’s all it seemed able to spit out for him. _Orion. Orion. Orion._

The gladiator wanted him captured. Wanted him killed. Wanted him to suffer. _Soundwave couldn’t argue with that..._

“Hall of Records,” was all Megatron said. “You will accompany me there. As my Communications Officer, you must know everything, and the Hall of Records is a good place to start.”

— —

Iacon’s archives were severely under-defended. When they arrived, it wasn’t long before they had the it under control with dozens of surviving Elite Guard as prisoners.

Soundwave immediately got to work on downloading the database into Trypticon Station’s records, only half-listening to what the others had to say. That was until he felt a horrified field and turned to see Barricade dragging a corpse with a hole straight through their spark chamber.

“L-Lord Megatron. These soldiers...”

“What is it?” Megatron demanded. 

Barricade continued to drag the corpse, helped along the way by Black Out. When the two mechs had placed the corpse in front of Megatron, the kneeling prisoners began to sob, turning their helms away from their fallen comrade.

“They’re younglings,” Barricade said. “Look.”

Soundwave analyzed it from where he stood. The mech looked no smaller than a regular Elite Guard, but when he got a glimpse of the faceplate, he could see how young he was.

Beside Megatron, Onslaught glanced down. “What if it’s just a forged one?”

“_Just_ a forged one?” Barricade snarled. “If he is, then he’s only a vorn old, look at the factory number!” The mech lifted an armored plate and pointed to a number.

Megatron and Onslaught looked at the number a moment before looking back to Barricade in confusion.

He sighed. “Just trust me on this, they’re _young_! The kindled sparks aren’t too old either.”

Onslaught shrugged. “We did kill thousands of Elite Guard to capture Sentinel. Their forces must be spread thin.”

Megatron turned around to the prisoners, all of which were still sobbing. He approached them and they stopped. “How long have you been out of training?” Megatron asked. 

“A-A-An orn...” the prisoner that answered was shaking.

Megatron went silent, contemplating for a moment. “Take them to Trypticon Station,” he decided. “We should be able to store them on one of those vessels Starscream is _supposedly_ capturing.”

“Right away,” Onslaught began to bark out orders to the troops.

“Do be careful with them,” Megatron added. “We may have some turncoats in the mix.”

— —

With the Elite Guard completely taken care of, they could begin to search the Archives in-depth.

Soundwave was beside Megatron as he tore through the door of Orion’s office—the same office they’d sat in to get Laserbeak recorded. He watched the gladiator open empty drawer after empty drawn. He felt the building frustration boil over.

“That coward has to be here!” Megatron snarled, turning to him. “Tell the troops to keep searching!”

Soundwave opened the comms, relaying the information as he followed Megatron. Once he’d closed his comms, he began searching for himself. He extended his abilities to read into those nearby. Every soldier’s processor showed up as a focused buzz, like a hive of scraplets searching for a kill. In the center, beneath them all, there was a single differing pulse.

_Orion?_ No, it couldn’t be Orion... It didn’t feel like him at all...

“What did you find?” 

He glanced up to see Megatron staring at the wall he’d been staring at. In response, he walked out of the room, attempting to follow that single, strong pulse. 

::Everyone to me! We have located Orion!:: Megatron ordered through the comms, but Soundwave was still focused on the pulse. 

It led him through multiple doors, two of which Megatron was able to break down. The final door was already open, and Megatron picked up his pace to enter first. Soundwave stepped in beside Megatron, finding a ancient, bearded mech instead of Orion.

“Where is Orion Pax!” Megatron demanded, lifting his cannon to the ancient mech’s helm. 

They turned to face them, and although he’d never seen this ancient mech before, their gaze seemed to grant knowledge. He felt the name _Alpha Trion_ brighten in his processor until it began to burn. 

“You will not find him here,” Alpha Trion responded evenly.

He growled. “I said _where_ is Orion! I know you’re aware of his location!”

The ancient mech placed down the empty capsule he was holding, shaking his helm. “Orion is no longer of this universe.”

“What do you mean?” Megatron asked.

“He has been reforged into Optimus—“

The ancient mech was on the ground in an instant, gasping for air. He’d lost his entire right side to Megatron’s powerful cannon.

_“What?!”_

“...Rising Prime...”

Alpha Trion lost his helm next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s always bothered me in Aligned that before becoming a Prime, OP is known as Optimus in some versions while he’s Orion in others.
> 
> I tried to rectify this with a made-up concept of a “Rising Prime,” which is essentially just a next in line to the Primacy, so they get the name change without actually being a Prime.
> 
> Also, thanks to everyone who’s sticking with this. I know updates can be slow sometimes, but I really appreciate it. :)


	15. Heavy Loss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were a few warnings added to the tags for this one. 
> 
> Other than that, enjoy.

_“Where is Optimus!”_

A dull clang echoed through the walls of the station, vibrating up Soundwave’s chair and into his spinal struts.

Cycles ago it would’ve been a distraction, but Megatron had “visited” Sentinel Prime enough for him to grow used to repeated interruptions during his work on the Iacon Database. _If you could call it work..._

He wasn’t getting anywhere. It was too heavily encrypted. He spent more time mindlessly staring at it than he did anything else, so he moved the work into his berthroom, keeping his comms open in case anyone needed him. Right now, Megatron only ever had him watch Sentinel, so there was no reason to be standing on his pedes all day. 

Plus, it was much quieter in his berthroom. 

“Primus, Megatron’s goin’ _down_ on Sentinel!” Frenzy yelled from where he sat on the floor with Laserbeak.

Beside him, Rumble laughed, causing Frenzy to glare at him. “I didn’t mean it like that, dimspark!”

“That’s like the _only_ meaning for ‘going down on!’” Rumble swatted away Frenzy’s clenched fists, still laughing.

“I’ll argue with that!” Frenzy day up on his pedes. “Soundwave, back me!”

He sent an _I’m busy, you’re both right _pulse through his bond as he tried to plug parts of the database into another decoding software with no luck.

Frenzy glanced down at Laserbeak. “That’s a sign your carrier doesn’t want to be involved in a fight, but he knows I’m right—ow!”

Rumble smacked him on the helm. “Don’t listen to this fragger, Beakers. Look... ‘Going down on someone’ clearly means to—“

Soundwave looked over his shoulder, giving Rumble a disapproving look. 

Rumble laughed. “Don’ worry, I wasn’t actually going to tell him!”

“Laserbeak, don’t listen to a word your sire says...” Ravage added from where he laid on a cabinet.

“Hey, he _needs_ to listen to me!”

“Yeah, it’s not like you’re gonna be around forever,” Frenzy shouldered him.

“Yeah, well you won’t be either! We’re split-sparks, remember? You die, I die.” 

“Oh, how could I forget,” Frenzy faked an optic-roll. “I’m bonded to your dumb decisions!”

“And don’t ya ever forget that—“

There was another clang of metal, louder this time, that interrupted Rumble, but before the mini-cons could start up their argument again, Soundwave received a comm from Megatron.

::Are you busy?:: 

The gentle question was almost enough to make him chuckle _if_ he wasn’t still frustrated with the Iacon Database.

::I’m coming,:: he answered and stood from his desk. _He really needed a break from the Database._

“Hey, where you goin,’” Rumble and Frenzy approached, leaving Laserbeak to crawl after them.

“Megatron?” Ravage asked—and answered—for him.

He nodded. 

“I’m guessin’ we can’t come?” Rumble frowned.

He nodded again. It was probably better this way. Since the Dark Energon, there were few mechs Megatron would tolerate for long periods of time. Rumble and Frenzy were not a part of that few.

“Well, Laserbeak, say ‘bye bye’ to your carrier,” Rumble crouched next to the sparkling and pointed.

Laserbeak pushed himself off the floor with his wings, giggling. “Bye bye, Carry!”

Soundwave smiled behind his visor before exiting their room. 

The halls of Trypticon Station were dim. The only light came from the overhead biolights that pulsed faintly in slow intervals. Soundwave found it unnerving... It was easy to forget he was standing inside of a giant mech—one that was in _stasis_ and could online if any of the inhibitor systems were to fail... _Best not to think about it..._

Soundwave reached the chamber, transforming the door open to step inside. Megatron was there to greet him.

“Soundwave...” Megatron spoke with a warmth that he hoped wasn’t just a show for the Prime. “I seem to be having difficulties getting _information_ out of our prisoner. Care to lend a servo?”

He nodded.

“Just this way, then,” Megatron swept his arm to gesture at the Prime hanging from the wall. 

The Prime’s plating was stripped of most of its chromal nanites, leaving him a light gray. He was also leaking energon from hundreds of lines. It all dripped from his frame, creating a large puddle beneath him. Soundwave was surprised the Prime was still conscious.

“I doubt that tiny thing can damage my plating, never mind control an electro-whip,” Sentinel Prime snapped.

There was an angry field-pulse from Megatron, but the gladiator kept his composure. “Soundwave isn’t here to damage you. This cycle,” he turned to him. “Go on.”

Soundwave stepped up to the weakened Prime. 

“I-If you try to connect to my ports, my firewalls will deactivate you,” the Prime warned, struggling weakly against his restraints.

Soundwave wordlessly extended his abilities to the Prime’s processor and pulled it open. He searched for the communication segment and read through all recent activities. All were cycles ago, long before his capture, with the last one being a call for help to some commander known as Ultra Magnus.

“Nothing recent,” he responded. 

The Prime’s optics widened in a mixture of fear and confusion but he didn’t say a word. 

“Thank you, Soundwave,” Megatron’s field pulsed warmly before he looked back at Sentinel. “Seeing as you’re going to be here for a while, I might as well see if I can call in a medic to repair any life-threatening wounds. Soundwave? Could you do that for me?”

He nodded and began searching through the group comm.

“When time permits, of course,” Megatron added with a laugh. “I know I’m expecting a lot of you with the Database...”

He looked away at the reminder of his inability to decode the Database.

— —

Another cycle later, Soundwave was watching the Prime again, just like Megatron had ordered. As per usual, he was alone. Rumble and Frenzy weren’t permitted in this room, and although Ravage wasn’t barred, the cyber-cat preferred to watch the brothers watch Laserbeak.

He kind of preferred that too, though he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want company. Nothing was happening. No threats from Sentinel and no struggling. Megatron had recently taught him how to work the console for the electro-torture device “just in case,” and he’d thought it may be useful, but there was no reason to use it when the Prime had grown so lifeless. In fact, a deeper search into Sentinel Prime’s processor showed declining activity. 

The Prime wouldn’t survive much longer of this... _Much like their own cause,_ Soundwave thought darkly.

Their troops were on the ground in all nearby cities, covered by troops in the air. Kaon had an impenetrable barrier erected around the outer walls, Iacon was reduced to little more than rubble, and any surviving fighters were being flushed out. They had Trypticon Station and figured out how to activate its weapons. Other similar-sized stations had been captured, the Harbinger being just one. Thousands of transports had been taken and upgraded with weaponry. Half the planet was theirs, but they were losing numbers rapidly.

They’d need a solution soon, otherwise their cause was doomed. _If their whole species wasn’t doomed already._

“Careful with the paint!”

Soundwave returned his focus outward as he heard an unfamiliar voice.

“Keep moving,” the next voice was that of a guard. 

“Do you honestly think I’d just walk in here if I wasn’t invited?!” The unfamiliar voice demanded. 

“Yes,” Came the growled response. “There’s been greater Autobot activity since a certain someone’s capture... Wouldn’t put it past them to send some fake-aft speedster to spy.”

“Fake-aft? Excuse me?!” The voice snapped. “I’ll have you know, every bit of this is quality Velocitron—“

“Yeah, yeah, save it for someone who cares...”

A red grounder with a highly customized frame was pushed inside, hard enough so he stumbled. “You scratched me!”

The guard ignored him. “This mech wants to see you, Officer,” he said before leaving.

“The nerve of some mechs. Ugh... This is going to take forever to buff out...” the red speedster grumbled then looked up at him. “I’m assuming you’re the ‘Soundwave’ who called?”

He nodded once, still analyze the speedster’s frame. This was not what he was expecting when he ran a quick profile scan to find a medic. Medical training wasn’t just given to any frame type. For this mech to be a medic... _Primus, he must’ve had to work hard for it..._

“So where’s this Prime you want me to fix? That him,” Knock Out flicked his optics over at Sentinel, smirking. 

He gave the medic another nod.

“He is in awful shape. Let’s see what I can do for him.”

Soundwave was about to turn to follow the medic when his sensors picked up someone lurking. He looked at the large door frame, finding a stocky blue mech with an orange faceplate. He looked like he was unsure whether to come in or not.

“Oh! Uh...” The stocky mech noticed Soundwave’s visor on him and approached, stopping in front of him to salute. “I’m Breakdown, Sir.”

Soundwave didn’t get a chance to say anything.

“Breakdown?” Across the room, Knock Out was turning to walk back. “Why couldn’t _you_ have been the welcome party?”

“Well,” Breakdown laughed, gaining a little more confidence in Knock Out’s presence. “Motormaster’s ‘lecture’ after our patrol today took a bit longer than I was expecting. You know how much of an aft he is.”

“Oh, definitely,” Knock Out smirked then pointed to Sentinel. “Wanna help me out with this one.”

“Yeah! Uh, I mean,” he glanced at him again, losing confidence. “If that’s alright, Sir.”

Soundwave gave him an affirmative pulse. Breakdown’s field sparked happily and he turned to follow Knock Out, Soundwave close behind the two of them.

“Hey, big guy, you awake?” Knock Out asked, tapping the Prime’s chestplates. 

The Prime didn’t move. Too much energon loss.

“Hm... He does not look good,” he turned to him. “What would you prefer I fix first?”

Soundwave critically analyzed the Prime. To get him back to optimal functioning, full-frame repairs would be required, but they weren’t _trying_ to get him back to optimal functioning. Megatron only wanted him stable.

“Repair any life-threatening wounds. That should be it,” he answered. 

“Alright,” Knock Out turned his gaze back on the Prime. “We’ll start with any energon lines leading out from the spark chamber. Breakdown, hand me Type-40, will you?”

“This one?”

“That’s the one,” Knock Out took it from the bruiser’s servos. He then transformed one of his own servos into a saw, chuckling. “This should be interesting...”

Soundwave narrowed his optics at the suggestion that this speedster didn’t know what he was doing. “If you damage Sentinel Prime, Megatron will—“

“Oh, trust me, dear, I’m much better with larger frame types,” he unlatched Sentinel’s chest plates and brought the saw closer. 

The buzzing seemed to awaken Sentinel from whatever altered state of consciousness he’d been in. “N-No... D-Don’t...”

“Calm down,” Knock Out’s chuckle was a full on laugh now. “This will only sting a little...”

— —

Once again, Soundwave was alone with Sentinel Prime. The Prime was still recovering from the operation, so Soundwave mostly sat in silence. 

_It felt like a punishment..._

It obviously wasn’t. The whole reason he was here was because of his abilities. That, and the fact that Megatron didn’t trust anyone else to do more than guard the door. With how weak Sentinel was, he’d be easy to snuff by any mech with a grudge. 

Still, every time he sat here, he felt guilty. He _should_ be decoding the Iacon Database, not sitting here and being useless.

“This way!”

“That’s what I fraggin’ said!” 

Soundwave’s attention snapped over to the vent in the ceiling. There were echoing voices and small pedesteps getting closer. 

“Here! Wait...”

“Look at the fraggin’ map again!”

“Oh, frag! It lets out here!”

Soundwave stepped up stand underneath the vent, reaching his arms out to catch the brothers when they fell. 

“Haha! Oh, hey, Sound!” They laughed, pulsing happily through the bond.

“Rumble, Frenzy,” he greeted as he placed them on the floor, then commed, ::You two should not be here.::

Rumble only laughed. “Megatron ain’t gonna know.”

“Yeah,” Frenzy added. “He’s down on the surface right now fighting some Autobot scum!” 

“Yeah, there’s a tiny little group that’s trying to storm our forces in Iacon. Won’t fraggin’ work, though!”

Soundwave felt another pulse now, this time from Sentinel’s field. He turned to the Prime. When he did, the field immediately retracted, but not fast enough for him to feel the anticipation, the _excitement._ He stepped closer to the Prime, waiting for another field pulse.

“What’s he doin’?” Both of the brothers were now staring at Sentinel.

Soundwave glanced at them. “The Prime is more awake than he is letting on.”

He was expecting to set Sentinel off, but there was no pulse.

“He’s not really good at fakin’,” Frenzy commented. 

“He kinda sucks at it,” Rumble added.

_Still no pulse from Sentinel..._ Soundwave decided to reach into his processor as the brothers continued to throw out insults. 

~We’re coming, Sentinel. Hang in there!~

That voice... 

Soundwave narrowed his optics beneath his visor, glaring at the Prime. “Optimus will not reach you.”

Rumble and Frenzy snapped their helms around to stare at him, optics widening in surprise. Then they grinned, staring at Sentinel to see his response. “Ooooo, someone thought they were bein’ sneaky!”

The Prime’s optics onlined filled with rage. “You have no way of knowing I’m in contact with him!”

An embarrassing slip up like that would’ve permitted an optic-roll, but Soundwave was already reaching to removed a comm scrambler from his subspace and attempting to magnetize it to the struggling Prime’s helm. 

“Agh!” Sentinel grunted in frustration. “That device will scramble your own comms, too!”

Soundwave attached it to Sentinel’s helm, keeping his servo on the device to hold the Prime’s helm down. “I do not need my comms to hear every word your Autobots transmit.”

Sentinel thrashed a moment before freezing. “Wait...” the Prime was analyzing his frame through his cracked optics. “I know who you are now...”

Soundwave watched Sentinel carefully.

“Who is he then?” Rumble challenged and Frenzy crossed his arms. “Yeah, who is he?” 

The Prime stuttered. “You’re that abandoned drone. The one found in the mines all those vorns ago...”

“So what?!” Rumble interrupted before Soundwave had processed what had been said. “Most of us are from the mines, but look where we are and look at you!”

Sentinel shook his head, struggling to get the words out. “He’s a...”

“Oh, frag you, you don’t know anythin’ about ‘im!”

“He’s an outlier,” Sentinel croaked, silencing Rumble and Frenzy. The two mini-cons began to stammer but Sentinel paid them no attention. His eyes were locked on Soundwave’s visor. “Yes, I know your secret. In fact, I’ve known it for a long time.” 

“You’re wrong,” Frenzy tried to bluff but the Prime wasn’t listening. 

Sentinel laughed weakly, coughing out his vents. “You were only a sparkling at the time, maybe a cycle old? Overseer Dredgen asked me what I wanted him to do with you... Do you want to know what I said?” 

_He didn’t have to read Sentinel’s processor for this one..._

“Deactivate it.”

The Prime paused, an amused expression spreading across his faceplate. “Yes, although it seems like Dredgen allowed you to live... Unfortunate.”

That silenced Rumble and Frenzy fairly quickly. They both backed away from the chained Prime to stand at his side. He could feel them staring up at him, gauging his response with anticipation in their fields. The mini-cons wanted to beat Sentinel for saying that, but Soundwave wouldn’t let them. He sent a dismissive pulse through his field, one that said Sentinel wasn’t worth the Energon it would take them to flatten him. 

“Megatron is only using you for your abilities,” Sentinel’s voice calmed.

Soundwave didn’t respond.

Sentinel took his lack of a response as a sign that he could be convinced. “Release me from these restraints and you will be pardoned for your crimes. Including your unlawful Emergence.“

Soundwave stared silently at the Prime. _Had that been his best attempt to persuade him? Offering to pardon him for his own Emergence? One of the only things he couldn’t control? And what did that mean for Laserbeak, a sparkling kindled with the sparks of an outlier and mini-con? Would the Prime be so willing to pardon him for his “unlawful Emergence?” What about everyone else? What about the end of this conflict? How could he be sure the Prime would keep his word? _

He couldn’t. Everything would just go back to the way it was, and this time, he wouldn’t be able to keep himself off the radar. Sentinel knew exactly who he was. _What _he was. He’d lose any rights he’d had before. Why would he do that? Why would be fight for the side that thought his own Emergence was a crime? 

He couldn’t. He _wouldn’t._

The Prime seemed to realize he’d lost him from his side. His face twisted in rage and he snarled, “so you’ll just let yourself be used?!”

_The irony, considering what Sentinel is offering..._

“Any side will ‘use’ me,” he stated. _Better to be used by someone he knows..._

Sentinel only got angrier. “I’ve offered you a proper functioning! What a foolish choice!”

“Not as foolish as you look right about now,” Frenzy was only ignored by the Prime.

“What do you think’s going to happen when I take back Cybertron?”

In response, he pulled up the last two deca-cycles worth of data and projected it on his visor. This only angered Sentinel.

“I don’t care what data you can pull up on a whim, you will not win this conflict!” Beads of spittle ran down the Prime’s chin as he snarled. “When you lose, I’ll have your helm! Your processor!“

Soundwave kept his field even, but Rumble and Frenzy’s burned with rage. 

“No you won’t!”

“You’ll be long deactivated by then!”

Sentinel only grinned, evil in his sightless optics. “I’ll install loyalty coding...”

“Shut UP!” Frenzy snapped.

“You’ll be my servant—my _slave_, and you will always remember this moment...”

Rumble stomped his pedes. “Imma fraggin’ kick ya in the panel if ya say one more word!”

Sentinel laughed. “Do it if you must, creature. It will be the last thing I do before I order your host to rip your spines out with his own servos—Gah!” The Prime grunted when Rumble jumped up and kicked his panel with as much force as he could muster. “Fragger!”

Frenzy leapt up to do the same, landing a hard kick on the Prime’s panel. Sentinel howled, opening his intake to yell at them.

“Another word and I hit ya _again!”_ Rumble snapped. “This time with my pile drivers!”

The Prime kept silent, but the grin remained on his face. _Soundwave knew why..._ There were hundreds of scenarios playing out in the Prime’s helm. Images of violent surgeries, pieces of himself torn away. The word “mindless” passed in the Prime’s helm, “unintelligent.” There was one image of himself cradling a capsule in his servos, crying. _His own processor was inside..._ Another image showed him kneeling on the floor, unable to move from his spot beside Sentinel’s berth. _Without a processor, his motor sensors didn’t know what to do... _

::Tell me what he’s thinking.::

::Yeah.::

Rumble and Frenzy’s voices pulled Soundwave out of Sentinel’s processor. He met both of their optics, just able to keep back a full-frame shiver. _That had been the Prime’s processor, or at least it was supposed to be..._

::What’s he thinkin’?:: Rumble pressed.

He gave them a quick helm shake. If he told them, they’d deactivate Sentinel. That couldn’t be permitted unless Megatron gave the order.

“You saw all of that, didn’t you?” The Prime had a smile on his faceplates.

“Soundwave, tell us!” 

::It’s fine,:: He commed the both of them. ::Sentinel is only trying to get into my helm...”

Sentinel’s optics were still on him. “How about this?”

Soundwave couldn’t put up his mental barriers before Sentinel’s next attack swarmed his processor. 

He was being taken by the Prime this time, still not moving. _He was just a spark in a frame, helpless to the outside world..._ The scene changed. His plating disappeared, leaving all of his struts, protomesh, and critical systems vulnerable. _His spark chamber..._ His most important system had been completely stripped of protective plating... With another image, his playing returned. This time it was made entirely out of clear crystal, allowing the light of his spark to shine out like a prism... as well as allowing him to see the Prime’s spike thrust inside of him. 

“That’s it! I know how to get him to stop!” 

Soundwave couldn’t see past the images forced into his processor, but he could hear Rumble jump onto the control panel for the electro-restraints. He heard Rumble crank the dial to max. Then he heard Sentinel roar. 

The images immediately disappeared and he was gifted the sight of Sentinel going rigid in his restraints, slave to the lethal current flowing through him.

“That’s what you fraggin’ get!” Frenzy jumped onto the controls with Rumble. 

“S-S-Stop this!” The Prime’s optics flicked behind them. “Optimus!”

_Optimus?!_

Soundwave spun around to see Ori—Optimus standing in the wide doorway. At his flanks were a juvenile yellow bot and a crimson warbuild. Soundwave didn’t get a chance to process how Sentinel had been stalling him before Optimus lifted his plasma cannon and fired.

Soundwave’s pedes scrabbled on the floor, indecisive on whether to go left or right. He watched, almost in slow motion, as the shot arched through the air and hit his chest plates. Hot plasma ricocheted off the smooth armor to burn straight through his throat cables, leaving a valley of molten nanites in its wake. 

He froze — the force of the blast having knocked his vents offline — and fell to the floor.

“Optimus, you got him!” The juvenile yellow bot cheered.

“SOUNDWAVE!” Frenzy shrieked loud enough to blow out his vocalizer. 

“We must aid Sentinel. Hurry!”

“You’re gonna fraggin’ PAY for that!” Rumble screamed.

Soundwave could hardly move. Every micro-adjustment caused his seared systems to shift painfully. His sensor net was on fire when he’d finally managed to roll over to see what was happening. 

The Autobots were in front of Sentinel, attempting to undo his restraints. Behind them, Rumble was charging towards them with his pile drivers lifted. He slammed straight into Optimus, knocking the larger mech off his pedes. 

“I’m gonna fraggin’ kill you! I’ll _kill_ you!” Rumble lifted his pile drivers over Optimus’ spark chamber, but before he’d been able to crush the Rising Prime’s life-force, a shot was fired out by the juvenile yellow bot. 

Soundwave watched the plasma connect with Rumble’s small frame. He watched him shatter into pieces...


	16. Split-Spark Decay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The attack from the Autobots continues to take.

Soundwave was facedown on the chamber floor. _He couldn’t remember when he’d lost consciousness..._

::Help! Someone help! Soundwave and Rumble are down! They’re _down!_:: Frenzy’s servos tightened where they laid on his shoulder as he cried hysterically into the comms. 

This was followed by hundreds of voices that were quickly silenced by Megatron’s ::Skywarp! Get Soundwave! Quickly!::

Frenzy continued to cry, pressing his forehelm against him and shrieking in anguish. “You killed them! You _killed_ them!”

There was a guilty EM pulse from across the chamber, “They were in the way of Sentinel Prime.” _That was the voice of the juvenile bot._

He felt Frenzy lift his helm off his shoulder. “You AFTHOLE!”

“You would do the same!” The Autobot snapped.

“Bumblebee,” Optimus spoke. “We need to focus on getting Sentinel out of here.”

Soundwave lost consciousness again...

...

When he regained it, there was a flash of purple and three Seekers launching missiles at the Autobots.

“Trying to run off with our Prime?” Starscream asked. “Let me help you with the dead weight!”

There was the sound of a missile connecting with metal. 

“Sentinel!”

There was return fire from the Autobots.

Soundwave was about to fall into stasis again when two servos locked around his chassis and hauled him up.

“Be careful with him!” Frenzy’s voice shook.

Skywarp laughed. “You know I wouldn’t want to damage such a pretty frame.”

“Oh, shut the frag up!”

“You shut the frag up and hop un! Unless ya wanna be left here?” The teleporter snapped as he pulled Soundwave tightly against his chassis. 

Soundwave could only scream in agonized static at the sudden pressure on his damaged sensors. _He was knocked him into stasis long before Skywarp teleported into the medbay..._

...

“Wake him up! Now!”

_Megatron?_ Through the darkness, Soundwave tried to reach for him, but his arms seemed to be held down by heavy weights.

“I’m trying, my liege, but as I’ve told you: Soundwave suffered _severe_ bruising to his sparkchamber. He may need a cycle for it to heal before he can naturally come out of stasis.”

“Didn’t you say he was hit with a stun round?”

“A _blunt force_ round, yes. He and Rumble both were...”

“So why did it leave him like this?! Why did it leave Rumble a pile of parts?!”

“Well, the rounds were meant for a larger frame type...” the voice hesitated. “Optimus was likely expecting you in there instead...”

A long pause.

“Tell me when he wakes up,” Megatron growled unhappily. “If I’m not informed the nanoclick he does, I will do more than bruise _your_ sparkchamber!”

“I believe you, my liege...”

...

“Why Carry far away?” 

“He’s right here, Laserbeak.” This voice was Ravage’s. The cyber-cat sounded so sparkbroken...

“Carry’s spark? Can’t feel... What wrong with Carry?”

There was a pause from Ravage. “He’s recovering.”

“Why?”

“He got hurt.”

“Want Carrier be okay...”

“He’ll be fine. You know how strong he is.”

“What if Carry not be okay?”

Now Ravage’s composure broke. “He’ll be okay, Laserbeak. He... Primus, he has to be...”

...

_“We chose the _perfect_ berthroom for the lot of us!” Rumble‘s smile was wide._

_“Yeah, it’s really good!” Frenzy agreed._

_Soundwave was hardly listening to the both of them, focusing his attention on the station’s system instead, but he still kept his field extended to feel them. He liked having them close like this..._

_::Soundwave, send a groundbridge!::_

_The order from Megatron came for him. He found it a little confusing but sent a ground bridge anyway. What came out the other side wasn’t Megatron or the troops. _It was Optimus... and the juvenile bot, Bumblebee?__

_Bumblebee fired right at Rumble. The mini-con shattered into a thousand pieces, right on the station’s bridge. _

_Soundwave couldn’t scream, he could only grip the ground bridge controls tightly. _He’d done this... It had all been his fault...__

...

“Hm... He’s not all here yet... Maybe we’ll do one more reboot. I think his systems can handle it.”

...

“Oh, it looks like he’s decided to come back to us...”

Soundwave recognized Knock Out’s voice before he felt the medic’s servos stroking his arm. He tried to twist away, finding the medic’s attempt at comforting _uncomfortable_, but found that it still hurt to move. 

“Soundwave! You’re awake!”

He onlined his optics at the sound of Frenzy’s voice. _Frenzy! H-He was still—?!_ Soundwave didn’t let himself finish that thought, choosing to online his optics instead. He lifted his helm as much as the brace around his neck struts would let him and looked around the room.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Knock Out held his shoulders down. “You have to stay still, and _you!_ I thought I told you to stay in your med berth?”

“I still got my spark support connected,” Frenzy lifted up a plate to reveal the cord as he ran across the floor.

Knock Out looked like he was about to argue with the mini-con, but chose to back away and give them room.

“Soundwave,” Frenzy jumped up, carefully avoiding his damaged chestplates. “I thought you’d been offlined like...” Frenzy bit his derma hard. 

His spark constricted. _Like Rumble..._

“He...” Frenzy lowered his helm. “He didn’t make it...”

Soundwave couldn’t respond. _How would he respond? They’d just lost someone irreplaceable..._

“If it makes you feel better,” Knock Out leaned in. “I personally viewed Rumble’s final system reports. He offlined instantly. Very little pain.”

Frenzy clenched his denta, snapping his helm over to the medic. “That does _not_ make us feel better!” He snarled, although it was more of a sob.

“Alright, I thought I may try,” Knock Out lifted his servos semi-apologetically before shooing Frenzy off the table. “Now, can I inform Soundwave of his own condition?”

Frenzy’s denta were still clenched when he jumped off the berth. “Yeah, ya should’ve been doin’ that already!”

Knock Out released a long sigh and returned to his side. The medic sighed, “Hi again, Soundwave.” There was sympathy in his optics when he continued. “Most of your bruised systems can be handled by your self-repair so I’ve given you multiple stimulants for those. However... Your vocalizer was heavily damaged. I’m not seeing any way I can repair it.”

“What?!”

Soundwave turned his helm to see Frenzy hop onto his med berth again. “Vocalizers are easy to fix!”

Knock Out just glared at the mini-con. “Only if you have a transplant ready. We don’t.”

“Well...” Frenzy began to dig through his subspace.

“Let me guess...” Knock Out frowned. “You have a transplant?”

“In my subspace, yeah,” he pulled it out, pushing on the medic’s shoulder to get him to move. “Here, let me!”

“As the chief physician, I can’t allow such,” Knock Out took the biomechanism from Frenzy’s servos to examine it. “This busted thing is far too small for a mech Soundwave’s size.”

“Ya don’ need to replace Sound’s for that one. Just take the broken parts out of Sound’s and replace ‘em,” Frenzy instructed. 

“That’s the best way to botch an operation,” Knock Out rolled his optics.

Frenzy frowned. “Then just let me fraggin’ do it!”

“That is _not_ going to happen. Do you know what Megatron would do to me if you _hurt_ Soundwave?!”

“I’d never hurt Soundwave!”

“You’d hurt him by permanently damaging his vocalizer!”

“No I wouldn’t!”

“Then by all means, do the operation!” Knock Out stepped back, speaking with mostly sarcasm.

“I will!” Frenzy crawled closer, the vocalizer from his subspace coming into view.

_They were pieces of Rumble’s vocalizer..._

Frenzy noticed the pulse of sorrow in his field and gave him a sympathetic look. “I know, it’s still a little too soon...“ he whispered. “But I had to grab these before they took him away.”

Frenzy’s small servos reached to grab his chin, angling it upwards to expose his damaged neck cables. The mini-con released a gasp when he saw the damage up close but he quickly took a deep in-vent and continued.

“I-Is this okay for me to do?” Frenzy asked him. “I mean, it’ll take a cycle of two for your spark to acclimate the parts to your own spark. You might, ya know, sound like him for a little while...” Frenzy’s faceplates twisted in pain. 

_No. He couldn’t do that. For the both of them._

Soundwave sent an affirmative pulse for the operation. Afterwards, he wouldn’t speak. At least not until his vocalizer was acclimated. _He couldn’t hear Rumble’s voice again... He couldn’t be reminded of how he’d lost him..._

— —

Soundwave held Frenzy’s servo as he was led through the empty halls and back to their berthroom. He was _exhausted._ He just wanted to recharge for an orn...

“Alright...” Frenzy mumbled, stretching up to open the door for them. 

“Carry!” 

Soundwave wasn’t two steps into their berthroom before he saw a tiny indigo shape dive down from a shelf.

“Hey!” Ravage was quick to his pedes. “What did I say about being gentle?”

“Oh! D’ats right!” Laserbeak angled his wings up to slow down and gently landed on his shoulder to nuzzle into his neck cables. “I missed you, Carry! So, so much!”

Soundwave grimaced when the tiny sparkling nudged healing cables, but he still managed to send out a happy pulse.

“Let’s get you to the berth,” Ravage was beside him now, brushing against his leg. 

Soundwave nodded, letting himself be led to the berth and carefully lowered onto it.

Laserbeak was still nuzzling him. “Love you, Carry! Ravage said you gon’ be okay an’ you are!”

Soundwave onlined his optics, looking at his sparkling, feeling the love he had for him... _Knowing that he’d almost left him creator-less._

“Huh,” He glanced up at Frenzy who’s optics were wet with washer fluid. “Rumble really didn’t get a chance to bond with Beakers, did he?” 

_There was no joke to his even tone or heavy field. This was really bothering him..._

“We really weren’t around him for too long...” Ravage murmured.

“Oh, shut up!” Frenzy snapped.

Soundwave and Ravage both stared at Frenzy in surprise. All they could see in his field was despair.

“Rumble loved this kid!” Frenzy pointed a digit at the sparkling who was now cowering by Soundwave’s side. “He loved him so much, yet Beakers doesn’t even feel nothing!”

“Hey! I’m not saying Rumble didn’t love Laserbeak, all I‘m saying is that we weren’t around him long,” Ravage said. “Megatron was with Soundwave for his entire carrying cycle.”

Frenzy’s derma twitched and he started cursing with every other sob. “Frag you, that fragger _replaced_ him!”

Soundwave reached over, grabbing the mini-con’s servos. ::No, not replace.::

Frenzy was bawling now. “Oh, don’t lie to me! We all know he did!”

::Pre-Emergence bonds are the strongest, but Megatron is not the replacement for a Sire...:: he didn’t like seeing Frenzy this upset. ::In the little time Laserbeak knew the both of you, he bonded quickly.::

Frenzy stopped crying, looking at him through glassy optics. “We should’ve had more time with him... We should’ve been—“

There was a painful ripple in their bond, like it had cracked and the splinters were being torn away. 

_They all felt it._

“Frenzy...” Ravage focused on Frenzy. “Are you okay?” 

“We shouldn’t have fragging _left_ you!” Frenzy cried out. “You needed us and we fraggin’ left!”

He shook his helm. ::You left for a reason. I understand, Frenzy.::

“Soundwave, wait.” Ravage jumped onto the berth beside Frenzy, analyzing the mini-con. “Are you _alright,_ Frenzy?”

“I-I-I-I,” the mini-con was stuttering badly. “I t-think I’m fine, I-I-I don’t k-know what’s happenin’ ta me!”

Soundwave glanced up at Ravage’s faceplates, finding horror in the cyber-cat’s optics. 

“He’s having split-spark decay...” the cyber-cat’s tail was stiff.

Frenzy cried harder, burying his helm into the berthsheets. 

Soundwave placed his servos on the mini-con’s back. His frame was growing colder and colder, spark growing weaker and weaker...

::What can we do?:: He commed Ravage as he pulled Frenzy into his lap to try and warm him with his own spark.

Ravage had a paw on his helm. “I don’t know, there’s very little research on split-sparks... Call Knock Out? I don’t know, we have no time...”

Soundwave angled his helm down to look at Frenzy. The mini-con’s tears streamed down his chestplates where his faceplates were pressed up against them. _He had an idea..._

::What about a sparkmerge?:: He commed, already moving Frenzy so he laid flat on the berth.

“That could possibly work,” Ravage’s field was an anxious ball of electricity. “But what if...” 

::I still have protection installed,:: he answered Ravage’s unasked question as he straddled Frenzy’s tiny frame. His frame was already graying. _They were losing him..._

“That ‘protection’ wasn’t very helpful last time...” Ravage commented. “What if you’re sparked—look at me, Soundwave—what if it happens again? We’re at war. We can’t afford this.”

His servos were on Frenzy’s chestplates, digits pulling at the locks to manually open them. The mini-con’s spark illuminated the dim room, but the light was quickly fading. _He_ was quickly fading.

::Frenzy is too weak to spark. Even if we manage to kindle, he needs this,:: he told Ravage. ::Please leave and take Laserbeak with you. He does not need to see this...::

Ravage stayed by his side a moment longer before yielding. He heard the cyber-cat call for Laserbeak and carry him out of the room.

::Frenzy...:: He commed.

Frenzy’s optics locked on him, understanding his intentions. “D-Do it.”

— —

Nine times they sparkmerged. 

With each merge, Frenzy's spark would jumpstart back to life, but by the time Soundwave had recovered, the mini-con's spark was already dimming. He had to hardline into the mini-con's systems so he could monitor his spark pulses. He'd be alerted each time Frenzy's spark began to dim so he could quickly provide another merge, but nothing was working. Frenzy just wasn't stong enough for the merges. 

"I c-can't..." Frenzy wheezed when his vents were knocked offline for the last time.

Soundwave quickly laid his servos over Frenzy’s vents and began to manually cycle them to keep cool air flowing to Frenzy’s processor. The mini-con’s faceplates twisted in distress and he shook his helm, tiny servos reaching for him. 

Soundwave lowered his helm closer to Frenzy. The mini-con’s digits tranced lightly down the edges of his visor, searching for the release. He located the latches and folded away his visor.

“Hah...” Frenzy laughed as much as his offlining systems let him. “You’re so...” beads of lubricant trailed out of his optics as they took in the details of his narrow faceplates. “You’re so amazing... I... I hope you know that...”

He grabbed Frenzy’s servos, holding the freezing components in his own.

On the ninth merge, Frenzy's spark finally fizzled out. There was nothing he could do. With Rumble offline, Frenzy was simply too weak to continue functioning, and Soundwave was too exhausted to keep trying to revive his greying frame.

_He was gone... They both were..._

He collapsed beside Frenzy, staring into the mini-con’s lifeless optics. _He’d let this happen. This had been his fault..._ He put his helm into his servos and cried inside his visor, not caring when the fluid pooled at the bottom.

::Send maintenance to room 0021. Deactivated frame.:: He commed to some of the maintenance staff before falling into stasis.

...

“Soundwave, don’t move,” he awoke to Ravage’s voice in his audials. “What happened? Where’s Frenzy?”

Instead of answering, he shook his helm in agonizing defeat.

“Primus, you should’ve called me, Soundwave...” Ravage placed a paw on his shoulder and leaned down to sniff him with his olfactory sensors. “You fried most of your neural net. I’ll go get Knock Out.”

Soundwave shook his helm harder, but the cyber-cat had already turned to leave the room, taking Laserbeak with him. 

— —

“Soundwave...” the medic looked at him nervously. “It will be difficult to repair with the extent of the damage...”

Soundwave was lying stiffly on a med berth, medical equipment beeping around him. Ravage wasn’t here, he was probably back in their room comforting Laserbeak. His only other company was _Starscream_ who shouldn’t be allowed to be here...

“Ninety percent of your neural net is compromised. Various systems disconnected... I see only two choices here: repair motor functions or let me put you in stasis so you can fully heal.”

“I think it would be best to put Soundwave into stasis,” before he could answer, Starscream did for him. “Just look at him! He’s in no condition to even be _awake_ right now!”

Soundwave narrowed his optics behind his visor. He knew Starscream didn’t actually care. The seeker only wanted him in stasis for his own benefit—probably to offline him when he was defenseless._ Yeah... No way he’d be doing that._

::Repair motor functions,:: Soundwave ordered. _He couldn’t afford to lay lifeless while the war raged around him and _hidden enemies_ made themselves known..._

“What?” Knock Out obviously disagreed. “If I only repair motor functions, you will still have thousands of offline sensors.”

::Proceed with the operation.::

Knock Out shook his helm. “You don’t want me to repair pain sensors on your arms or reconnect the burnt wires in crucial emotional components in your processor?”

::I’ve told you what I want,:: he stated. ::Don’t give me a choice if it’s not actually a choice.::

Knock Out frowned. “Fine. Just know that I don’t agree with it...”

— —

“So you can’t feel anything?” Ravage asked. 

Soundwave could _see_ the cyber-cat’s paw sliding against his plating, but he couldn’t _feel_ it. 

“Will the feeling ever return?” Ravage asked. “Maybe you should go back to Knock Out.”

Soundwave shook his helm. ::I have too much to do.::

Ravage’s spark pulsed with heavy sadness. “Megatron would understand if you needed a few orns to heal. _He worries about you more than I do,” _Ravage whispered the last part.

Soundwave would’ve smiled at that... _Primus, maybe he did. He couldn’t feel his faceplates move..._

“Soundwave.”

He met the cyber-cat’s optics.

“Soundwave, don’t do this to yourself. Rumble and Frenzy wouldn’t—“

At the mention of their designations he got to his pedes and headed for the door. As he moved it felt as though he was in a vacuum. _But even in a vacuume you could feel your own limbs moving..._

“Soundwave,” Ravage began to follow him.

He turned back to the cyber-cat, putting on an even tone. He wasn’t mad at Ravage, he just didn’t want to be here in this room—their room—right now. ::I’m going to speak with Megatron. I will see you here later.::

“Alright,” Ravage was still standing in the middle of their room when he transformed the door shut behind him.

— —

“Our troops are useless!” Megatron snarled. 

They were standing in his office. Megatron was pacing back and forth, already creating marks in the floor. _These stations weren’t meant for miner classes. Especially _angry_ miner classes._

“Optimus was corned and he got away" Megatron continued his rant. "Five hundred soldiers on this ship and not a single one could hit a twenty-ton convoy-class!”

Soundwave lowered his helm, optics angled towards the floor. That had mostly been his fault. He'd been guarding Sentinel. He'd known Optimus was coming. Yet, he still failed.

_He’d failed everyone._

“I want the security footage! I want to see those who were responsible for his escape!”

_Megatron was looking right at them._

"What's the matter with you!”

Soundwave flinched at the harsh tone, glancing up to see the warlord standing in front of him. He didn’t know if he was shaking, _he couldn’t feel it,_ but he probably was.

“Soundwave, what’s wrong?” Megatron’s voice softened, but only slightly.

::Frenzy is offline,:: he reported as evenly as he could.

"In stasis?" The warlord’s scarred faceplates twitched.

He shook his helm. ::Offline.::

Megatron frowned. “Wasn't he cleared by Knock Out? What could've happened between then and now?”

Soundwave glanced down, watching his servos involuntarily twitch. ::Frenzy’s condition worsened upon reentering our chambers. Resuscitation: impossible...::

Megatron growled. “I’m going to have a word with that blasted ‘medic’...”

Soundwave shook his helm. ::Knock Out: not at fault. Brothers’ deactivation: unfortunate.::

Megatron’s optics remained on him. He could see the gears moving in his helm without using his telepathy. The warlord was gauging a proper response. He could see that the warlord wasn’t sure what to say. He needed him at his station, but at the same time, he wanted him to be able to recover. 

Before he could ask where he was needed, Megatron finally spoke up. “You obviously need time to grieve, so grieve...”

Soundwave slowly nodded his helm.

“...When you’ve finished, I want you back on the bridge.”


	17. The War Must Go On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soundwave continues to suffer.

Soundwave was back on the bridge next cycle performing regular tasks.

He needed to be here. No other Decepticon was as qualified as he was for this position. Every moment he wasn’t working, Megatron was missing out on precious enemy communications—which was his primary task now that he’d been ordered to cease all failed efforts on the Database. 

It wasn’t important right now. Optimus was. The moment they found him, they won. _Or at least Megatron would have him thinking that way..._

The warlord’s obsession with Optimus had only grown in the past cycles. No other target mattered anymore. They poured all of their time and resources into finding him, but every time he got away. _It was just an unending cycle now..._ Figuratively and literally.

Soundwave couldn’t remember the last time he’d been fully recharged. He never got a break anymore, not with Optimus so _close._ He’d had to figure out some way to get some rest, so he’d began to shut various systems off one-by-one throughout the cycle. This way, each could independently ‘recharge.’ Though he could only function like this for so long.

Eventually his processor crashed. 

It happened in their berthroom. According to Ravage, he’d been getting ready to go to the bridge for the cycle when he’d fallen to the floor. The cyber-cat had tried go wake him, but he was too far gone. All Ravage could do was move things out of the way so he wouldn’t hurt himself with his spasms.

::How long?:: Soundwave asked when he’d recovered from his initial confusion.

Ravage shook his helm, refusing to answer his question. “You’re doing too much...”

Soundwave wordlessly tried to get enough control of his body to sit up. 

“Primus, you just had a processor crash! Stay still!” Ravage held him down.

With a frustrated puff of air from vents, he obeyed. 

The cyber-cat continued to hold him down. He set his jaw with a look of finality in his optics. “I’m going to tell Megatron you’re staying here for the cycle.”

Soundwave lifted his helm off the floor. ::No I’m not.::

“Yes you are,” Ravage gently asserted, tapping a paw beside his damaged chest plates. “This is _hurting_ you, especially now that your spark is weakened from its severed bonds...”

_Rumble. Frenzy..._ He tried to banish their faces_, and the pain that accompanied them, _from the forefront of his processor. He couldn’t think about them right now. He just couldn’t...

Ravage was silently watching him with a look of concern in his optics. “You need time.”

He shook his helm. He didn’t like the thought of needing time to grieve. He shouldn’t need to. They should be right here with him. He shouldn’t have to... _get over _their deactivations. _To forget about them..._

“I’ll be right back,” Ravage padded across the floor of their berthroom and out into the hall. 

He let him go, disappointed in himself for not being strong enough. 

“You gon’ be okay...”

The tiny voice nearly started him, but he glanced down at his shoulder to see Laserbeak clutching him tightly. Tears streamed down his avian faceplates and Soundwave felt a pulse of guilt in his spark. _This was the second time Laserbeak was seeing him like this..._

“Imma make sure you okay...”

A sharp kick to his spark this time. _If there was any moment in time to show how he’d failed as a creator, now was that time. _Laserbeak shouldn’t be the one worrying or looking out for him. _He_ should.

::Laserbeak,:: He moved his arm to hold him closer.

He lifted his tiny helm, still crying. “Carry?”

He gave himself a moment to take in the sight of his sparkling as he reached back into old memory files. This tiny sparkling, who he could once fit in his servos, was now so grown. Not yet a youngling, but still grown... _He had to be stronger for him. He had to be a better example..._

::I’m going to recover from this. For you.::

— —

Soundwave was lying on his side at the edge of recharge, keeping one optic online to play the board game Laserbeak had found buried deep in the old contents of their closet. Somehow the sparkling was winning. _They had to be playing with Rumble’s rules... He could make anything go in his favor..._

“Carry, it your turn!” Laserbeak announced.

His servos moved on instinct more than conscious thought. _He was so tired..._

::I’m back.::

Soundwave received the comm from Ravage before the cyber-cat had opened the door to their room. By the time he had, Soundwave was already sitting up to greet him. 

::How were your assignments?:: He asked. The cyber-cat had been receiving many spy missions to make up for Soundwave’s absence on the bridge. _Just another thing that’s his fault..._

::They were fine. Found several tracks leading to—:: Ravage cut himself off as Laserbeak glided down to him. “Hi, Laserbeak.”

“Hi, Ravage! Missed you!” Laserbeak nuzzled him. “Carrier and I are playing a game! I’m winning!”

“That’s great,” Ravage walked through the room, Laserbeak bouncing along beside him. 

“Play with us!” Laserbeak flapped up to the berth, sitting back in his spot.

“Alright,” Ravage jumped up beside him, though before he sat down, he pressed his olfactory sensors on Soundwave’s plating and took in a deep in-vent. 

Ravage had said that he’d detected a certain smell before Soundwave had crashed and insisted he’d be able to warn him beforehand. This continued even when Ravage was suppose to be scouting. He’d find time to come back and do a “smell check.” 

_If you crash and I’m not here..._ Ravage had left it unsaid, but Soundwave understood the consequences.

_He could hurt himself. Hurt Laserbeak._ Though that wasn’t going to happen. He was going to get better. 

::What tracks did you find?:: He asked Ravage after the cyber-cat had finished his turn.

Ravage looked at him. ::Autobot tracks leading to a large supply of energon. Large enough to power a _cityformer._::

Soundwave completed his turn before responding. ::Is that what you think they’re planning?::

The cyber-cat shrugged. ::No idea. I’m only the one who found it.:: 

He sat back to think, only needing half a klik. ::They’re going to use it to power a ship...::

Ravage cocked his helm. ::To leave Cybertron?::

He nodded. ::This is why I need to be on the bridge.::

“Give me your pieces, Ravage!” Laserbeak demanded and the cyber-cat slid over the required amount before turning back to him. ::You need to rest.::

Soundwave ignored him, focusing on his turn instead.

::I’m half-tempted to ask Megatron to assign you to something lighter when you _do_ recover.::

He glared at the cyber-cat, feeling an anger he never would’ve thought he’d feel for Ravage. ::That is not necessary.::

::Sound—::

::I can do the work,:: he snapped through comms. ::I _want_ to do the work.::

::You need a break.::

::Ravage!:: He snapped, punctuating it by slamming his fist beside the board game.

Both Ravage and Laserbeak were staring at him with wide optics, though the later laughed and returned to finish his turn.

Ravage lowered his helm. ::I know it hurts, Soundwave...::

_No. He wasn’t talking about this._ Soundwave slid from the berth began for the door to their room, trying to make his movements slow as to not alarm Laserbeak. 

It mostly succeeded. The sparkling looked up. “Where you goin’, Carry?” 

He sent a calming pulse through his field. ::I’m going to see if the dark shift needs any help. You can have my pieces... Beat Ravage for me.::

Laserbeak’s field flared in determination. “I will!”

He exited their room, hearing a loud ex-vent from Ravage before the door transformed shut. Soundwave couldn’t help but release his own ex-vent.

— —

Helping the dark shift didn’t take too long. With most of the Autobots in recharge, there were no communication lines to spy in on.

It wasn’t much longer than a few breems before he was heading back to their room.

“Soundwave...”

He stopped, extending his field as he turned around. He’d known it was Megatron at the voice, but now we could feel the warlord’s genuine joy at seeing him. _Which was almost enough for him to forget about the Dark Energon corrupting him..._

He bowed his helm in greeting. ::Megatron.::

“How have you been fairing since the assault?” 

He froze at hearing it described that way, though essentially, that’s what it had been...

::I’m recovered,:: he answered. ::I can continue with regular work next cycle.::

“Hm...” the warlord’s servo came up to stroke his chin. “I’ve actually been thinking about assigning you to something lighter for the time being.”

_Ravage..._ Soundwave frowned, feeling a bit betrayed. ::I can handle my work.::

“That I am sure of. However, your skills would be much more useful elsewhere. The Autobots are running out of ground bridges. There’s only so many locations they can escape to.”

He pulled his field back in to hide his annoyance. ::Where will I be working?::

“What do you think about working on the Harbinger with Shockwave?”

::Beneath him?:: He asked, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Megatron shook his helm. “No, of course not. I mostly want you there to track his progress for me... and to see if Devastator will _ever_ be recommissioned...” He said the last part with an optic roll.

It was really about time Shockwave got the coding working for the combiner team. _With how long it was taking the scientist, one could easily think he was planning something else with them..._

::I will leave for the Harbinger this dark cycle:: Soundwave turned to leave.

“Thank you, Soundwave,” Megatron said, but his voice drifted off like there was something else he wanted to say. 

He glanced over his shoulder to see the warlord still standing there.

“You know... It’s been quite a while since we’ve had time to ourselves...”

Megatron’s words nearly made him trip over his own pedes. It was obvious what ‘_time to ourselves_’ meant. 

_He shouldn’t. He should say no. He can say no..._ Though all he did was stare blankly into Megatron’s purple-tinged optics. 

“How about you stay here an extra dark cycle?”  
Megatron approached him, laying a servo on his shoulder to rub light circles into the metal. They were alone in the hall. No judging optics held off Megatron’s advances.

_Maybe he should. Not just for Megatron, but for himself..._ It _had_ been awhile. From Laserbeak’s emergence, recovering from post-emergence injuries, the mini-cons arriving, and the start of this conflict, they’d never really found time.

_It would be good to feel something again..._

No. He shouldn’t. It was too soon. He wasn’t in the right helm-space.

“You could leave at first light.” Megatron suggested, already pulling on him to gently bring him to his side. 

_It’s been so long since you’ve seen _this_ side of Megatron. Take it,_ his processor was screaming at him, but his spark felt conflicted... It hurt so much. It wanted the energy of a merge to repair itself, but at the same time, that felt wrong... 

_You’ve merged with him in past. After Laserbeak dropped into your gestation chamber and out of sight..._

That was only once. Not even long enough to create any sort of bond... And there’s no guarantee Megatron will even want a merge...

_You could change that. Imagine how nice it would feel to have a strong bond replace that of the brothers’?_

There’s that word. _‘Replace...’_ He couldn’t do this...

_You_ need_ this..._

He went limp against the warlord’s frame, exhausted both physically and mentally. He didn’t know what he needed, but for his sake, he hoped Megatron did... 

— —

_Three joors later..._

Megatron had gently led him back to his quarters, laying him down on the large berth at the center. Megatron laid beside him. 

They talked for quite awhile. Mostly about the war. _Though it wasn’t long before they fell back into old routines._

He was on his back, legs spread wide around Megatron’s larger frame. His thin digits dug deep into the seams in Megatron’s back, hard enough to strain his components.

One of Megatron’s servos rested on his shoulder, holding him in place, while the other slid up his frame, teasing his exposed protoform. Soundwave’s damaged sensors couldn’t derive any sort of feeling — be it pleasure or pain—and his lack of a reaction only caused Megatron to give more attention to these offline sensors.

He manually squirmed, feigning pleasure in a way that felt unpleasant and wrong. _All of this felt wrong,_ but it was encouraging Megatron to continue on with their usual foreplay. Sharpened digits followed his biolights over his abdomen and down to his array. He instinctively awaited the feeling of pleasure, but instead, the warlord’s digits skipped right over his panel, moving to tease the seams in his hips. Soundwave took in a large in-vent. _He couldn’t feel this either. Was there anything he could still feel?_

He gave Megatron another round of faked squirms before he manually snapped his panel open. He couldn’t feel the components underneath, but a quick glance down at himself confirmed they both were primed and dripping lubricant and pre-transfluid. _Good for them..._

The warlord smirked, sliding his digits towards his valve. Soundwave watched them curl around the outer lips, rubbing them together against his node in a motion that would’ve made his sensors go wild... but any sort of charge he’d been able to build up was immediately lost. 

The sensor damage had reached deep into his array._ He couldn’t feel any of this..._

The realization made Soundwave lose his grip on Megatron’s back plates, his arms sliding to lay flat on the berth beside him. 

Megatron laughed, taking his defeated reaction for something else. “Yes... Let me...” he murmured close to his audials.

The warlord’s large servos moved to grip his hips, angling them up to his array. He watched Megatron’s panel transform open, spike quickly pressurizing between them dripping pre-transfluid. 

He wanted to cry. 

_No. He wanted to _feel _something..._

Megatron slowly angling his spike to tease his entrance. If his sensors were still working, he’d probably throw his helm back at the sensation and his processor would be overwhelmed with the thought of how the warlord’s large spike could possibly fit... Now though, he didn’t care. _Megatron’s spike could shatter his entire pelvic array and he still wouldn’t feel it..._

“I’ve missed this valve of yours,” Megatron’s engines revved as he finally pushed past unresponsive calipers. “It shouldn’t be able to take my spike, yet it does...”

Every thrust had Soundwave’s backplates sliding against the berth. With no pleasure to counteract the friction, their interface quickly turned into an uncomfortable push and pull that he just wanted to get out of.

Soundwave’s digits returned to Megatron’s back plates, holding onto them tighter. This grip was his way of riding out the discomfort. 

“Oh, why did we ever stop this?” Megatron asked between grunts 

_Because you found Orion._ The clear-helmed thought amused him despite himself. It was interesting to be interfacing with a mech and feeling nothing. His processor wasn’t under the heavy influence of pleasure. _He could think..._

_Though it made him feel like some living interface toy..._

Half a joor later, the repetitive motions of interface grew choppy—an issue for larger frames like Megatron who had to hold their weight up while topping. So the warlord rolled them over, keeping himself hilted as he settled against the headboard. Soundwave adjusted his position. With how wide Megatron’s hips here, his knee struts didn’t even touch the berth. He was sitting flat against the warlord’s plating, filled to the brim with his spike.

He started to absently grind against him, thinking about other things. _The war, his work... There was so much that needed to be done, then afterwards. They would have to rebuild everything..._

Beneath him, Megatron’s faceplates twitched with each noise his movements pulled out of him. Soundwave continued to watch him. He should probably reach behind himself and play with the warlord’s valve, but decided against it. With nonworking sensors, he didn’t want to pull or pinch something too hard... _Like he could ever hurt Megatron..._ Still. These parts were sensitive, and it looked like Megatron was nearing overload without extra stimulation anyway. 

Soundwave placed his servos on Megatron’s shoulders. He pushed himself halfway off the warlord’s spike before bringing himself back down, riding him rougher than he normally would. 

Megatron’s jaw clenched. “If you continue that, I’m going to—“

That was all the warning he got as Megatron’s large servos locked around his hips and transfluid gushed against his offline sensors.

— —

“Where were you?” Ravage was right by the door when he entered, olfactory sensors flaring. “Oh...”

Soundwave felt a phantom, embarrassed heat emanating from his faceplates. He tried to ignore it, walking through their room, spotting Laserbeak asleep on their berth. _Thank Primus._

He glanced over at Ravage. ::It happened unexpectedly. I—::

“Oh, you don’t need to share the details,” Ravage purred. After a moment, he added, “It’s good that you’re starting to feel better.”

_Feel better?_ With those words, Soundwave pulled his field in as tightly as he could and headed for the wash racks. 

“What did I say?” Ravage followed him in. 

Soundwave didn’t answer, he just absently looked through the various cleansers on the shelf as if he really cared which one he used.

“Soundwave, what did I say?” Ravage asked again. “Whatever it was, I didn’t mean it offensively. You know that.”

He took a cleanser off the shelf and turned it in his servos to read the label.

“Wait. Is that _energon_ dripping from your panel?” Ravage’s voice lowered.

_What?_ He quickly looked down at himself, finding beads of bright blue dripping down his thighs. _He must’ve let Megatron in a little too deep..._ He glared at Ravage. ::I’m trying to shower.::

::Soundwave,:: Ravage switched to comms.

::It wasn’t forced,:: he spoke, having read the cyber-cat’s thoughts. 

Despite his answer, Ravage seemed to have already decided that it was. ::You can talk to me about it. I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to...::

_Just like he hadn’t told Megatron to assign him under Shockwave?_

::We don’t have to talk about it but I know something’s bothering you. It’s about Rumble and Frenzy, isn’t it?::

His servo tightened around the bottle.

::What’s bothering you about them?::

He shook his helm._ That was the problem. He really didn’t know, he was just angry._ Angry at their deaths, obviously, but there was more anger. He snapped at anyone who so much as mentioned them by name. _It was like he was trying to protect his memory of them._

_Was he in denial?_

Ravage lowered his helm. ::Look, I miss them, too. They were my friends before they were yours...::

He didn’t respond.

::I don’t want to lose you either. I feel like I’m losing you.::

::You’re not.::

::Give me a field pulse?::

He sighed again, complying. 

::So it_ is _about Rumble and Frenzy.:: Ravage murmured.

::Yes.:: He paused. ::I would’ve happily offlined for both of them.::

::Soundwave...::

::It should’ve been me.::

::But it wasn’t...::

::It still should’ve been me.::

The image of Rumble standing on top of Optimus flashed into his processor, cutting off as the mini-con was shot at point blank range. _He was trying to protect him. He died trying to protect him... Then Frenzy died from Split-Spark Decay..._

_He should’ve been able to do something._

Ravage was pressing up against his leg. ::There’s a reason you’re here and they aren’t. That reason is out of your control.::

He didn’t respond.

“Knowing the brothers, they wouldn’t have it any other way,” Ravage murmured with a hint of humor. “They loved you... _Still_ love you, even in the Allspark...”

Now he was shaking, trying to contain every emotion that so desperately wanted to get out.

“It would eat them up to see you so sparkbroken like this... You still have purpose. _I’m_ still here. Laserbeak is still here. Megatron is still here...” Ravage paused. “The cause Rumble and Frenzy died for is still here and it _needs_ you. We all need you.”

Soundwave pressed his servos against his visor as he sunk to the floor of the washracks.

“Working yourself to deactivation like this doesn’t bring them back. It hurts us...” Ravage sat beside him. “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but if we win here and now, we have the potential to claim the Well of Allsparks. With it, we could bring them back. Not... _them_, but at least their sparks...”

He nodded, blinking washer fluid out of his optics. 

“But in order to do so, you need to be fully recharged.”

::I’ll rest,:: he said.

Ravage glanced up at him, field pulsing contentedly. “You will?”

_For Rumble and Frenzy he would._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I'm not even going to mention the amount of deleted sex scenes there's been in this fic. Finally one got through editing! 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed!


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